Oct. 22 (UPI) — Imprisoned producer Harvey Weinstein is being treated for chronic myeloid leukemia, an uncommon form of bone marrow cancer, according to multiple media reports.
NBC News, The Hollywood Reporter and the New York Post reported that the 72-year-old former movie mogul was diagnosed with the disease earlier this month and has been undergoing treatment at Rikers Island prison in New York where he is serving time for multiple sexual offenses.
Weinstein underwent emergency heart surgery last month, and battled COVID and double pneumonia in July.
His representative issued a statement regarding Monday’s reports.
“Craig Rothfeld, Mr. Weinstein’s authorized legal healthcare representative in New York State, expresses profound dismay at the speculation surrounding Mr. Weinstein’s medical condition,” the statement said.
“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 was one of the most successful film producers of the 1990s and early 2000s, earning an Oscar for producing Shakespeare in Love and several Emmy and Tony Awards.
Projects he shepherded won an additional 81 Oscars.
But his career crashed after dozens of women he worked with accused him of offenses ranging from harassment to rape.
His behavior and the women who came forward to report it sparked the widespread #MeToo movement against sexual violence starting in 2017.
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