Harvey Weinstein has received a jailhouse rebuke after his latest brush with the law for possession of chocolatey contraband.
A search of the imprisoned Oscar-winning producer uncovered a stash of Milk Duds after a meeting with his attorney in a jail medical facility in downtown Los Angeles, according to a report Thursday by Variety.
Weinstein, convicted two years ago of rape and criminal sex act at his trial in New York, was awaiting prosecution on similar charges in California when the candy was discovered during a Nov. 10 search following the meeting with his attorney.
“This was an innocent misunderstanding,” Weinstein said in a statement to the entertainment industry publication. “It will not happen again. I have been a model inmate, following the rules and regulations and I am sincerely sorry.”
Weinstein, 69, remains behind bars in Los Angeles as he awaits trial on 11 charges of rape and sexual assault, the next chapter in his precipitous fall from Hollywood grace after scores of accusers emerged with sordid accounts of his abuse.
He was sentenced to 23 years in prison after the Manhattan trial where a half-dozen women took the stand against him, including “Sopranos” star and actress Annabella Sciorra.
According to the report, Weinstein initially told jailhouse guards that he brought the Milk Duds with him when extradited from New York last July. But officials noted he was searched after the transfer to Los Angeles with nothing found, leading them to believe his lawyers delivered the candy.
“We have been informed about this and are very sorry it happened,” said a statement from Weinstein attorneys Mark Werkesman and Alan Jackson. “It had not happened before, and never happened since.”
Weinstein emerged as the #MeToo movement’s Public Enemy No. 1, with the tsunami of accusations preceding his New York conviction. His legal team continues to appeal that case, with a ruling expected later this year.
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