Theranos founder, Elizabeth Holmes appears pregnant before appearing at court
Facing up to 20 years in prison, Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes appeared to be five to seven months pregnant as her lawyers fight for a new trial.
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Disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes appeared to be pregnant when she arrived at court on Monday, as her lawyers fought for her to get a new trial.
The 38-year-old had her baby bump on display in a fitted navy dress as she entered the courthouse in San Jose, California, in the hearing seeking a new trial for the health tech company founder.
When asked to confirm whether she was expecting, Holmes and her partner, hotel heir Billy Evans, declined to comment, New York Post reports.
Holmes’ lawyers aim to bring up potential misconduct involving a witness at her original trial at the hearing.
The former entrepreneur was convicted in January of four counts of fraud.
She was found guilty of lying to her company’s investors about the capabilities of so-called revolutionary blood-testing technology.
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Holmes is facing up to 20 years in prison.
She and Mr Evans previously welcomed a son in July 2021.
On Monday, Anne Kopf-Sill, a former biotech professional who attended every day of Holmes’ trial, tweeted that Holmes appeared to be around five to seven months along.
Speaking to KRON4 outside the courtroom, Ms Kopf-Sill speculated that the second pregnancy may see a court go easier on Holmes.
“Everyone feels sorry for children that have to grow up without both parents. Even though they may be unsympathetic to Elizabeth … there still is feeling for doing something for innocent children.”
Holmes is set to be sentenced on November 18, three days after the sentencing of her former business partner and lover Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, who was convicted of 12 felony counts of fraud in July.
Holmes’ lawyers have argued that their client deserves a new trial. At Monday’s hearing, her lawyers alleged that Theranos’ former lab director Adam Rosendorff was pressured by prosecutors to throw Holmes under the bus for the company’s failings.
Holmes’ legal team filed a motion for a new trial in September, citing a bizarre, apologetic visit Mr Rosendorff allegedly paid to her Californian mansion in August.
Mr Rosendorff was one of the prosecution’s key witnesses in the 2021 trial, during which he spent six days testifying. He was also one of the whistleblowers in John Carreyrou’s 2015 Wall Street Journal exposé that blew up the Theranos scandal.
When asked by defence lawyer Lance Wade why he rang Holmes’ doorbell on August 8, Mr Rosendorff insisted that he wanted to “finally put the saga behind me, and move on with my life”.
While he said he felt sad about the idea of Holmes’ children growing up without their mother, he stood by his original testimony.
“You are making me out to be a liar. My statements have always reflected the truth,” he told Mr Wade.
At the end of the 75-minute hearing, US District Judge Edward Davila did not rule on whether Holmes will receive a new trial. The prosecution and the defence have one week to file additional arguments before a decision is reached.
Despite the proceedings ending in limbo, Holmes appeared in high spirits leaving the courtroom, sharing a kiss with Evans and smiling.
– with wires
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and has been republished with permission
Originally published as Theranos founder, Elizabeth Holmes appears pregnant before appearing at court
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