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Harvey Weinstein Diagnosed with Bone Marrow Cancer While Serving Sentence
Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has reportedly been diagnosed with bone marrow cancer, as multiple news outlets, including NBC News, have confirmed.
The 72-year-old Weinstein is said to be battling chronic myeloid leukemia while incarcerated at Rikers Island, according to sources.
Chronic myeloid leukemia is classified as a rare blood cancer affecting the bone marrow, as detailed by the Mayo Clinic.
This latest health concern adds to a series of medical issues for Weinstein, who appeared notably pale and frail during a brief court session in September.
Weinstein underwent emergency heart surgery just a month ago, after which his representative indicated he was “out of danger at the moment.”
A spokesperson for Weinstein, Juda Engelmayer, expressed “profound dismay” over the speculation regarding his health, stating, “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.”
Weinstein is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence following his conviction on rape charges in California. Additionally, he was convicted in New York in 2020 for the rape and sexual assault of an actress, and for forcibly performing oral sex on a production assistant. In that case, he received a 23-year sentence. However, a New York appeals court overturned the verdict in April, stating that testimony from individuals not directly related to the charges should not have been allowed in court.
Although a retrial was planned for November, prosecutors have recently deemed this timeline “unrealistic.”
Weinstein’s allegations were pivotal in igniting the #MeToo movement in 2017, a landmark campaign against sexual misconduct that empowered women to speak out. Over 80 women have accused him of various forms of harassment, assault, or rape, encompassing well-known figures like Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Ashley Judd. Despite these accusations, Weinstein has maintained that any sexual encounters were consensual.
In 1979, Weinstein co-founded the influential Hollywood studio Miramax Films with his brother Bob. The studio produced major hits, including “Pulp Fiction” (1994) and “Shakespeare in Love” (1998), the latter earning Weinstein an Academy Award for Best Picture.
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