A haggard-looking Harvey Weinstein was wheeled into a Manhattan courtroom Wednesday — appearing for the first time since reports surfaced about his cancer diagnosis.
The disgraced Hollywood honcho, who brought a copy of the political thriller “Conclave,” softly told his supporters in the first row of the gallery “Thank you” as officers rolled him into Manhattan Supreme Court in a wheelchair.
During the brief hearing, Justice Curtis Farber ruled that Weinstein’s retrial in his landmark #MeToo sex crimes case would include a fresh allegation that he forced oral sex on a woman in a New York City hotel in 2006.
Weinstein’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, declined to answer questions about the former movie mogul’s health condition after the court appearance.
A source confirmed to The Post Monday that Weinstein has been diagnosed with cancer, and NBC News reported that he’s suffering from a type bone marrow cancer known as chronic myeloid leukemia.
“I’m not going to answer specifics other to say that Mr. Weinstein is a fighter, that he is going to fight this case, and will fight with every ounce of strength in his body that he has,” Aidala told reporters.
Weinstein’s camp had pushed for the new sex act rap he faces to be kept separate from his retrial on the charges Manhattan jurors convicted him on in 2020 — in a verdict the Empire State’s top appeals court stunningly reversed in April.
But the judge found that both cases should be combined, noting that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office planned to call many of the same witnesses — including those who will speak on Weinstein’s “status and influence in the entertainment industry” — had the new allegation been tried on its own.
Weinstein, 72, cradled two books in his hand, including the 2016 novel by author Robert Harris.
His retrial had been set to begin as soon as November, but his lawyers and prosecutors jointly agreed Wednesday to push it back until at least next spring in light of the new allegation, from an accuser whose name has not been made public.
“We are pleased with the court’s decision to consolidate the two indictments,” said Lindsay Goldbrum, a lawyer for the accuser, who is referring to herself as “Jane Doe,” in a statement.
“While Ms. Doe has previously chosen not to publicly share this painful portion of her experience, she has always remained consistent in her conversations with the Manhattan DA’s office and maintains that this encounter was not consensual,” Goldbrum added. “Ms. Doe wants her privacy to be respected while she prepares for her testimony.”
Weinstein is being held behind bars at Rikers Island, serving out a separate February 2023 sentence of 16 years in prison in a Los Angeles criminal case for raping an Italian model.
A New York judge has ordered him to remain in New York City until his Manhattan trial unfolds, and for him to be sent to a California lockup afterward.
More than 80 women have publicly accused the former Miramax head of sexual misconduct.
Weinstein has maintained his innocence and claimed that the encounters were consensual.
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