Harvey Weinstein, the former Hollywood titan now incarcerated, has been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia according to NBC News. Weinstein has been central figure over the years due to his sexual crimes and is currently receiving treatment at Rikers Island prison in New York.
On Monday evening, Craig Rothfeld, the legal health care representative for Weinstein told NBC News, “Out of respect for Mr. Weinstein’s privacy, we will offer no further comment.” Last month, Weinstein was rushed into emergency heart surgery to remove a significant amount of fluid from his lungs and heart. In July, he was admitted to the hospital where he tested positive for Covid-19 and was diagnosed with double pneumonia.
Weinstein’s legal troubles began in May 2018 when he was arrested and subsequently charged with rape in New York, leading to a conviction on two of five felony counts in February 2020 and a 23-year prison sentence. After serving time at Wende Correctional Facility, Weinstein was extradited to Los Angeles in July 2021 for additional charges, resulting in a conviction on three of seven charges in December 2022, and a separate 16-year sentence.
In 2023, Weinstein was moved back to New York following an April 2023 extradition. However, his New York rape convictions were overturned by the New York Court of Appeals in April 2024 due to procedural errors, prompting plans for a retrial.
Despite the overturned convictions, Weinstein remains incarcerated on the basis of his California sentence. A retrial for the New York sex abuse charges is set to commence on November 12 after a court ruling on July 19 of this year.
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a rare cancer that primarily affects the bone marrow and blood, developing slowly over time. It originates in the myeloid cells, which normally mature into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Early in the disease, many patients may not experience noticeable symptoms, with the condition often discovered incidentally during routine blood tests. As CML progresses, common symptoms include fatigue, weight loss, an enlarged spleen, easy bruising or bleeding, fever, and night sweats.
The disease typically evolves through three phases: chronic, accelerated, and blast crisis. The chronic phase is often asymptomatic, while the accelerated phase brings more apparent symptoms, and the blast crisis resembles acute leukemia, which can be life-threatening. The prognosis for CML has improved significantly, with many patients achieving long-term remission when diagnosed early and treated effectively.
Weinstein is a former Hollywood film producer who became one of the most influential figures in the entertainment industry. He co-founded Miramax in 1979 and later the Weinstein Company, producing numerous acclaimed films, including Pulp Fiction, Shakespeare in Love, and The King’s Speech.
Weinstein’s career took a dramatic turn in 2017 when several women accused him of sexual harassment, assault, and rape, sparking the global #MeToo movement. The allegations revealed a pattern of abuse spanning decades, leading to his downfall.
In 2020, Weinstein was convicted of rape and sexual assault in New York and sentenced to 23 years in prison. He also faced charges in Los Angeles, where he was found guilty of additional sexual assault offenses in 2022, marking one of the most high-profile cases of accountability in the entertainment industry.
