Harvey Weinstein Diagnosed With Bone Marrow Cancer

Harvey Weinstein was diagnosed with myeloid leukemia—a cancer of the bone marrow—while in prison at Rikers Island in New York, two sources told NBC News.

By Lindsay Weinberg Oct 22, 2024 3:51 AMTags

New York Jury Indicts Harvey Weinstein on New Sexual Assault Charges

Harvey Weinstein is battling cancer.

The disgraced Hollywood producer has been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia and is undergoing treatment while imprisoned at Rikers Island in New York, two sources told NBC News.

Weinstein’s legal health care rep Craig Rothfeld told NBC News Oct. 21, “Out of respect for Mr. Weinstein’s privacy, we will offer no further comment.”

Chronic myeloid leukemia begins in cells of a person’s bone marrow before invading their blood, according to the American Cancer Society. It makes up 15 percent of adult cases of leukemia.

Weinstein, 72, has faced multiple health challenges since he was taken into custody in 2018 over sexual assault allegations that came to light during the #MeToo movement, including undergoing heart surgery in 2020 and being hospitalized in July with COVID-19 and double pneumonia. As of September, his lawyer said he takes 19 medications.

Weinstein—who was sentenced to 23 years in prison in his 2020 rape case—had his conviction overturned in April, with a judge ordering a new trial. At the time, his lawyer called it “not just a victory for Mr. Weinstein, but for every criminal defendant in the state of New York, and we compliment the Court of Appeals for upholding the most basic principles that a criminal defendant should have in a trial.”

Despite the ruling, the Shakespeare in Love producer remains behind bars because he was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2023 over a separate rape case in Los Angeles, which his team is appealing.

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Additionally, Weinstein was indicted by a New York City grand jury last month over new charges of sexual assault. On Sept. 18, he arrived to court in a wheelchair to enter his not guilty plea on one count of criminal sexual act in the first degree, according to NBC News.

(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

For free, confidential help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org.