Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood mogul whose alleged sexual misconduct fueled the #MeToo movement and who was recently indicted on new charges, has chronic myeloid leukemia, two sources told NBC News.
The sources added that Weinstein is undergoing treatment in prison at Rikers Island in New York. Chronic myeloid leukemia is an uncommon form of cancer of the bone marrow, according to the Mayo Clinic.
In a statement to NBC News on Monday night, Weinstein’s legal health care representative Craig Rothfeld said in part, “Out of respect for Mr. Weinstein’s privacy, we will offer no further comment.”
The news of Weinstein’s diagnosis comes amid a myriad of health issues. Last month, he underwent emergency heart surgery to alleviate a significant amount of fluid in his lungs and heart.
In July, he was hospitalized and tested positive for Covid-19 and double pneumonia.
Weinstein’s health issues come amid his legal battle with Manhattan prosecutors over their efforts to combine his original 2020 sexual crimes with a new criminal indictment. Prosecutors have sought to consolidate the new charges with the ones previously brought against Weinstein so they could be tried in court together.
Weinstein’s New York conviction was overturned this year as he was serving a 23-year sentence. New York’s Court of Appeals found that the judge in the landmark trial prejudiced Weinstein with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
But Weinstein did not walk free after the court’s decision because he was convicted in 2022 of rape in Los Angeles and sentenced to 16 years in prison. His legal team is appealing that conviction.
