Disgraced Hollywood movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault, has been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a form of bone marrow cancer. The 72-year-old is undergoing treatment in a New York prison. Weinstein’s authorized healthcare representative declined to comment on his condition, citing privacy concerns.
Weinstein’s spokesperson expressed dismay at the speculation surrounding his medical condition and criticized the public discourse on his private health matters. Weinstein also underwent emergency heart surgery last month but is reportedly “out of danger at the moment.”
Weinstein was recently indicted on a new sex crime charge, to which he pleaded not guilty. He was also convicted in New York in 2020 of rape and sexual assault, but the verdict was overturned by a New York appeals court in April due to errors in allowing testimony from accusers not directly involved in the case.
The allegations against Weinstein were instrumental in launching the MeToo movement in 2017, with more than 80 women accusing him of harassment, assault, or rape. Weinstein has consistently denied non-consensual sexual relations.
Weinstein co-founded Miramax Films in 1979 with his brother Bob, producing hit movies like “Pulp Fiction” and “Shakespeare in Love.” The news of his cancer diagnosis adds another chapter to the ongoing saga of one of Hollywood’s most notorious figures.
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