Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been diagnosed with cancer. Weinstein, 72, who is currently awaiting a second trial on charges of sexual offenses, was diagnosed last month, according to sources. The specifics of his prognosis remain unclear, or how his diagnosis will impact the ongoing legal proceedings against him.
The convicted rapist has been receiving treatment behind bars at Rikers Island for a rare type of bone marrow cancer known as chronic myeloid leukemia, NBC News reported. Weinstein was hospitalized for most of the summer due to a range of health issues, including Covid-19, double pneumonia, and the need for fluid to be drained from his heart and lungs.
Rapist Diagnosed With Rare form of Cancer
Weinstein is currently serving a sentence for rape at Rikers Island prison and was urgently taken to Bellevue on Sunday night due to serious medical issues. However, a spokesperson for Weinstein refused to comment in a statement.
“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,” the rep said in a statement.
“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.”
According to NBC News, which was the first to report the story, the type of cancer is believed to be chronic myeloid leukemia.
Once a leading figure in the film industry, Weinstein fell from grace as the #MeToo movement gained momentum, with numerous women accusing him of sexual assault.
His Sufferings Continue
Several actresses alleged that he retaliated against women who rejected his advances, frequently sabotaging their careers. Weinstein was found guilty in 2020 of first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape.
He received a 23-year prison sentence, but his conviction was overturned on appeal in April.
He continues to serve time while appealing a separate conviction from 2022 on three sexual assault charges, for which he was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Weinstein, who had emergency heart surgery in September, is preparing for a retrial related to the 2020 case. He was recently hit with an additional charge of first-degree criminal sexual act after prosecutors accused him of forcibly performing oral sex on a woman in a lower Manhattan hotel room sometime between April 29, 2006, and May 6 of that year.
Last month, Weinstein pleaded not guilty to the new charge.
