Harvey Weinstein is one of the most notorious and disgraced figures in Hollywood history. The former film producer and co-founder of Miramax and The Weinstein Company was accused of sexual harassment, assault, and rape by more than 80 women since October 2017. He was fired from his company, expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and faced criminal charges in New York and Los Angeles. He was found guilty of two of five felonies in New York in February 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison. He was extradited to Los Angeles in July 2021 and found guilty of three of seven charges in December 2022. He was sentenced to 16 years in the Los Angeles trial, and his California prison term must be served separately from his New York sentence.
However, there have been rumors and hoaxes circulating online that Weinstein has died, either by suicide or by natural causes. These false reports have been spread by various fake news websites, social media posts, and pranksters. Some of these reports have even used fabricated quotes and images to make them seem more credible. However, none of these reports have been confirmed by any reliable sources, and Weinstein is still alive and serving his sentences in prison.
The Suicide Hoax
One of the most persistent and widely shared rumors about Weinstein’s death is that he committed suicide in a hotel room in Arizona, where he was undergoing addiction treatment. This rumor was first published by a fake news website called ABCNewsGo.com in February 2018. The website, which has no affiliation with the real ABC News, claimed that Weinstein shot himself and left a Facebook post saying “The accusations are sicknesses that will take my life, I cannot handle them any longer. THEY Have Won This Life. BUT HEAVEN IS MY HOME.” The website also claimed that Weinstein had sent a private message to a close friend before his suicide, saying “The accusations … are false GOD and only GOD knows the truth, nothing is the way they make it out to be. AMERICA will not survive this type of judge and jury fake news. Conservatives take a stand.”
However, this report was completely fabricated and based on false information. The Facebook post and the private message attributed to Weinstein were actually copied from a post made by a Kentucky state representative named Dan Johnson, who did commit suicide in December 2017 after being accused of sexual assault. Weinstein did not write or post anything like that on social media. Moreover, Weinstein was not in Arizona at the time of the alleged suicide, but in Connecticut, where he was under house arrest and wearing an ankle monitor. The fake news website also used a stock photo of a hotel room to illustrate the story, which had nothing to do with Weinstein or Arizona.
The suicide hoax was debunked by various fact-checking websites, such as Snopes.com and Politifact.com. However, it continued to circulate online and was reposted by other dubious websites and social media users. Some people even believed that the hoax was part of a cover-up or a conspiracy to protect Weinstein from justice.
The Natural Death Hoax
Another rumor about Weinstein’s death is that he died of natural causes, such as a heart attack, a stroke, or COVID-19. These rumors have been fueled by reports of Weinstein’s poor health and his contraction of the coronavirus while in prison. Weinstein, who is 69 years old, has suffered from various health issues, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, back pain, and chest pain. He has also used a walker and a wheelchair to move around during his trials and hearings. He tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020 and again in November 2020, and experienced mild symptoms such as fever and cough .
However, none of these health problems have been fatal for Weinstein, and he has received medical attention and treatment while in custody. His lawyers and spokespeople have also denied any rumors of his death and have confirmed that he is alive and well. For example, in December 2020, his lawyer Imran Ansari said “He is still in custody, no update on his health status at this time beyond that he is OK”. In July 2021, his spokesperson Juda Engelmayer said “He is alive and well and in Los Angeles” after he was extradited to face his second trial.
The natural death hoax has been spread by various websites and social media users, some of whom have used edited or misleading photos and videos to make their claims seem more convincing. For example, in March 2020, a website called Conservative Tears published an article titled “BREAKING: Harvey Weinstein Dead of Coronavirus” and used a photo of Weinstein being taken away in an ambulance as evidence. However, the photo was actually from February 2020, when Weinstein was taken to a hospital after complaining of chest pain following his conviction in New York. The website also claimed that Weinstein had died at Rikers Island, the notorious jail complex in New York, where he was never held. The website, which describes itself as “a satire site designed to parody the 24-hour news cycle”, later added a disclaimer to the article saying “This story is not real”.
The Conclusion
Harvey Weinstein is not dead, despite the rumors and hoaxes that have been circulating online. He is alive and serving his sentences in prison for his crimes of sexual abuse and rape. He is also facing more civil lawsuits and criminal investigations in other jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom and France. He has appealed his convictions and sentences, but his chances of overturning them are slim. He has also been stripped of his honors and awards, such as his CBE and his Legion of Honour. He has been widely condemned and shunned by the entertainment industry and the public, and his legacy and reputation have been tarnished and destroyed. He is one of the most prominent and powerful figures to fall from grace in the wake of the #MeToo movement, which has exposed and challenged the culture of sexual harassment and violence in Hollywood and beyond. 🎥.
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