Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who was convicted of rape and sexual assault, has been diagnosed with bone marrow cancer a month and a half after undergoing emergency heart surgery.
Weinstein, currently serving a prison sentence in New York, was confirmed to have been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, according to sources close to him. "It is both troubling and unacceptable that such private and confidential health matters have become a subject of public discourse," said Craig Rothfeld, Weinstein's legal representative, in a statement to Deadline on Monday. "Out of respect for Mr. Weinstein's privacy, we will offer no further comment."
This isn't the first instance of deteriorating health for the former producer. Weinstein was hospitalized in July after contracting COVID-19 and pneumonia. At the time, his lawyer said Weinstein was "suffering greatly" from several ailments, including fluid accumulation in his heart and lungs, spinal canal stenosis, macular degeneration in his eyes and high blood sugar due to his diabetes.
In September, after experiencing chest pains, he was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in New York, where he underwent heart surgery. "He had a cardiac procedure, and we cannot elaborate further," his representatives said at the time.
"As we have extensively stated before, Mr. Weinstein suffers a plethora of significant health issues that need ongoing treatment. We are grateful to the executive team at the New York City Department of Correction and Rikers Island for acting swiftly in taking him to Bellevue Hospital." As of Monday night, Rothfeld reported that Weinstein is currently resting after the surgery and feels "weak."
A week after the incident, Weinstein appeared in a New York court, where new charges were filed against him for an alleged sexual assault of a woman in a Manhattan hotel in 2006. Weinstein was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair and pleaded not guilty.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: