Harvey Weinstein has been diagnosed with cancer. Per NBC News, the disgraced movie producer has chronic myeloid leukemia, a form of bone marrow cancer.
“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,” said Weinstein’s spokesperson Juda Engelmayer in a statement provided to Variety. “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.”
The former movie producer most recently appeared in a Manhattan court in September, his first time after undergoing heart surgery. He was wheeled in by courthouse security guards in a wheelchair and pleaded not guilty to the additional criminal sex act charge he was indicted on a week prior in New York.
His lawyer Arthur Aidala claimed that the disgraced movie producer “almost died” following emergency heart surgery. Weinstein had previously been hospitalized during the summer for other issues, including diabetes, along with contracted COVID-19 and double pneumonia while in the hospital.
In April, the New York Court of Appeals overturned Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction. The appeals court ruled that Weinstein’s original trial erred by allowing three additional accusers to testify about their own assault allegations when they should not have been permitted. Their testimonies were prejudiced against Weinstein and didn’t shed any light on the charges he faced; the appeals court vacated the conviction and ordered a retrial. The new trial was tentatively set for November, but it’s now eyeing an early 2025 date.
After becoming one of the most-accused figures of the #MeToo movement, Weinstein has continued to deny that he assaulted or raped anyone.
NBC was first to report the news of Weinstein’s cancer diagnosis.
From Variety US