Harvey Weinstein says he continues to receive an annual pension from Disney even while serving time in jail.
In his first sit-down interview from New York’s Rikers Island, the 73-year-old former film producer told The Hollywood Reporter that he still receives about $60,000 a year tied to his past work with the company.
Weinstein said his financial future has become a major concern as legal costs continue to mount while he awaits another trial related to sexual assault allegations.
“My assets and other income sources aren’t endless,” Weinstein said in the interview, adding that the possibility of financial collapse “haunts me at night.”
He claimed the pension is the only remaining compensation he receives from Disney after the company terminated his insurance.
“I earned billions upon billions for Disney, and they compensate me with $60,000 annually,” Weinstein said, noting that about half of the amount goes to his ex-wife, Eve Chilton.
Weinstein and his brother Bob founded Miramax in 1979, turning it into one of Hollywood’s most influential independent film studios. The company produced and distributed a string of major hits, including Sex, Lies, and Videotape and Reservoir Dogs.
The Walt Disney Company acquired Miramax in 1993 for about $70 million, beginning a partnership that lasted more than a decade.
The Weinstein brothers eventually left the studio in 2005 following conflicts with Disney leadership, including then-CEO Michael Eisner.
Reports at the time suggested the brothers earned roughly $403 million during their years working with Disney, including a final payout of about $140 million.
Weinstein’s reputation collapsed in 2017 after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced, helping spark the global #MeToo movement.
He has since been convicted in separate sexual assault cases in New York and Los Angeles. Despite the convictions, Weinstein continues to deny the allegations and maintains that he did not commit sexual assault.
