Disgraced Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein has been diagnosed with bone marrow cancer, according to numerous outlets. NBC News was first among them.
Weinstein, 72, has chronic myeloid leukemia and is undergoing treatment behind bars in Rikers Island, the reports say, citing sources.
Chronic myeloid leukemia is a rare type of cancer of the bone marrow, the Mayo Clinic says.
His reported diagnosis is the latest in a string of health issues for the once-powerful entertainment mogul, who appeared pale and visibly frail during a brief court appearance in September.
Seth Wenig / Getty Images
He underwent emergency heart surgery last month, after which his representative said he was “out of danger at the moment.”
A statement provided to CBS News by Weinstein spokesperson Juda Engelmayer says, “Craig Rothfeld, Mr. Weinstein’s authorized legal healthcare representative in New York state, expresses “profound dismay at the speculation surrounding Mr. Weinstein’s medical condition. It is both troubling and unacceptable that such private and confidential health matters have become a subject of public discourse. Out of respect for Mr. Weinstein’s privacy, we will offer no further comment.”
Weinstein is serving a 16-year prison sentence after being convicted on rape charges in California.
He was also convicted in New York in 2020 of the rape and sexual assault of an actress and of forcibly performing oral sex on a production assistant. Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison in that case.
However, a New York appeals court overturned the verdict in April, ruling that the trial judge had allowed testimony in error from accusers who weren’t directly involved with the charges Weinstein was facing.
A retrial in the case had been slated for November, though prosecutors have deemed that “unrealistic.”
Allegations against Weinstein helped launch the #MeToo movement in 2017, a watershed moment for women fighting sexual misconduct.
More than 80 women have accused him of harassment, sexual assault or rape, including prominent actors Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashley Judd.
Weinstein has claimed any sexual relations in question were consensual.
In 1979, Weinstein and his brother Bob co-founded prominent Hollywood studio Miramax Films.
Their hits included 1994’s “Pulp Fiction” and 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love,” for which Weinstein shared a best picture Oscar.
