Reports from the United States reveal that Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced ex-movie mogul, is contending with a medical diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukaemia. This form of cancer is uncommon and impacts the bone marrow and white blood cells. The 72-year-old is currently undergoing therapy and awaits a fresh trial in New York for rape and sexual assault, charges stemming from the pivotal #MeToo case, at Rikers Island prison, as reported by NBC News.
Craig Rothfeld, Weinstein’s sanctioned legal healthcare advisor, vocalised his deep disappointment about the speculation surrounding Weinstein’s health situation. He said to the PA news agency that it was deeply concerning that such personal and confidential health data had become public knowledge, and in light of Weinstein’s privacy rights, they would refrain from further commenting.
Chronic myeloid leukaemia is an unusual form of cancer that targets the bone marrow and white blood cells. According to the NHS website, this type of cancer is largely treatable. Weinstein has been recovering from emergency heart surgery he had to endure the previous month.
Following harrowing allegations from several women in 2017, Weinstein became a central figure in the #MeToo movement. Presently serving a 16-year stint in jail after a 2023 conviction for rape and sexual misconduct in Los Angeles, the charges root back to an incident in 2013 when he reportedly entered a woman’s hotel room unwelcomed during a film festival in Los Angeles. Following the overturn of a rape conviction from 2020, another trial awaits him in Manhattan – a verdict from the New York Court of Appeal earlier this year made this possible. Weinstein has categorically refuted all allegations launched against him.
Weinstein, known for producing acclaimed movies such as Pulp Fiction, The English Patient, Good Will Hunting, Gangs Of New York and Shakespeare In Love, has been experiencing severe health issues, prompting several hospital admissions in recent years. He underwent hospital treatment in July for pneumonia in both lungs and Covid-19. Other medical concerns he was being treated for included diabetes, hypertension, spinal stenosis, and fluid in his heart and lungs, as per a statement by Juda Engelmayer presented to the Associated Press at the time.