Harvey Weinstein wants to postpone his civil case by two months.
Harvey Weinstein
The 68-year-old convicted rapist is being sued by actress Wedil David for sexually assaulting her in 2016, but his legal team have asked the judge for an eight-week extension "due to the current coronavirus crisis" that is sweeping across the globe.
According to the court documents, obtained by TMZ.com, his lawyer has claimed there are several reasons why the former movie producer can't meet the deadline; including his recent conviction in his New York rape case, his forthcoming criminal case in Los Angeles and his declining health and on-going medical problems.
It's thought Weinstein was one of the two inmates at Wende Correctional Facility in New York to test positive to COVID-19 earlier this week, but his lawyer has said he won't be commenting on the speculation out of respect for his privacy rights.
Despite this, the legal documents went on to suggest that Weinstein is an "at-risk individual" and added the current pandemic has been a "perfect storm for him" and this, in turn, warrants an extension of a deadline in his civil case to May 15.
The judge is yet to make a decision on the appeal.
Earlier this month, Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison after he was found guilty of third-degree rape and a first-degree criminal sexual act.
After his sentencing, he was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, New York, after suffering a "dangerous" rise in blood pressure following the hearing.
His spokesman Juda Engelmayer said recently: "His blood pressure spiked to a dangerous level and given his angioplasty last week, they brought him to Bellevue to be watched and monitored. He did not have another angioplasty."
On March 4 he underwent an angioplasty - in which a tiny catheter is inserted into a vessel to help improve blood flow to the heart - before he was transferred to Rikers Island and held in the North Infirmary Command ahead of his sentencing.
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