The former film producer is currently waiting to be retried on sex crime charges after a New York appeals court reversed his 2020 conviction
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Harvey Weinstein has been diagnosed with bone marrow cancer, according to reports.
The former film producer, 72, has chronic myeloid leukemia and is receiving treatment in prison as he continues to serve his 23-year sentence for rape and sexual assault at Riker’s Island in New York, sources told ABC News and NBC News.
Weinstein’s representative and prison consultant Craig Rothfield said in a statement to PEOPLE on Monday, Oct. 21: “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.”
“It is both troubling and unacceptable that such private and confidential health matters have become a subject of public discourse and speculation. Out of respect for Mr. Weinstein’s privacy, we will offer no further comment.”
Chronic myeloid leukemia is an uncommon type of cancer of the bone marrow that develops slowly and causes an increased number of white blood cells in the blood, according to Mayo Clinic.
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The reports about Weinstein’s diagnosis come as the 72-year-old has experienced a myriad of recent health issues.
On Sept. 19, Weinstein appeared in court for the first time after undergoing heart surgery as he pleaded not guilty to an additional first-degree criminal sex charge. Weinstein is accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a Manhattan hotel in 2006, per ABC News and The New York Times
In July, Weinstein was hospitalized with COVID-19 and double pneumonia. Rothfeld revealed in a statement obtained by multiple outlets at the time that he was being kept at the Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward where he was being treated for “diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal stenosis, fluid on his heart and lungs, and various other conditions.”
The ex-film producer was also hospitalized for a “series of tests” in April, his attorney Arthur Aidala confirmed to Deadline at the time as she called him “a train wreck health-wise.”
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Weinstein was found guilty of first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape in February 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison.
His sentencing came after he was accused of sexual misconduct by over 80 women in October 2017, which sparked the rise of the #MeToo movement, before he was formally charged in connection with two women’s allegations in May 2018. On April 25, Weinstein’s 2020 conviction was overturned by the New York Court of Appeals and he is currently waiting to be retried on the charges. The high court found that trial judge James Burke erroneously allowed three women whose allegations were not a part of the criminal case against Weinstein to testify about the producer’s “prior bad acts.”
A new trial is thought to commence in early 2025, according to Variety.