Harvey Weinstein is currently undergoing treatment at Rikers Island prison in New York. His old spokesman, Judah Engelmeier, had no comment on his health situation.
Craig Rothfeld, Weinstein’s prison counsel and New York State’s official legal health representative, dismissed the speculation about Weinstein’s health. He clarified that Weinstein had no definitive diagnosis.
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a rare type of cancer that forms in the bone marrow and then enters the blood. According to the American Cancer Society, this is a slow- growing type of leukemia that can become chronic if not treated promptly. Because CML is less common than other blood diseases, it has taken years for scientists to develop and test treatments for it.
About 15% to 30% of people with CML develop acute myeloid leukemia (AML). CML is more common in men, the society says. Last month, Harvey Weinstein underwent emergency heart surgery.
“As we have made clear in the past, Mr. Weinstein is suffering from a number of serious health issues that require ongoing treatment,” Weinstein’s filing said in September.
Just one week after the heart surgery, Weinstein attended a court hearing where he was charged with first- degree criminal sexual misconduct. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Earlier, a grand jury filed new charges against him.
Earlier this year, an appeals court in New York overturned Weinstein’s 2020 conviction, marking a turning point in the #MeToo movement. Weinstein is scheduled to go on trial again in New York on November 12, but the prosecution has called for all the cases against Weinstein to be tried together, which his defense “strongly opposes.”
As Weinstein’s health continues to deteriorate, the legal battle against him has once again drawn public attention. In need of immediate treatment for diseases such as leukemia, his health condition and the complexities of the court process have made things more complicated.