Harvey Weinstein diagnosed with cancer source

Harvey Weinstein. Photo: AFP / Pool / Etienne Laurent

By Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN

Harvey Weinstein has been diagnosed with bone cancer, a source close to the incarcerated producer tells CNN.

Weinstein's specific diagnosis is chronic myeloid leukaemia, a form of cancer of the bone marrow, the source says, adding that he is undergoing treatment at Rikers Island in New York.

Weinstein's longtime spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, declined to comment on Weinstein's diagnosis. His attorney, Arthur Aidala, did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.

Weinstein's prison consultant and authorised legal healthcare representative in New York state, Craig Rothfeld, shot down speculation regarding Weinstein's diagnosis.

"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," Rothfeld told CNN in a statement.

The diagnosis was first reported by NBC News.

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a rare type of cancer that forms in the bone marrow before spilling into the blood. It is a slow-growing type of leukaemia that can turn acute if not treated quickly with targeted therapy, according to the American Cancer Society.

Because CML is not as common as other blood diseases, scientists have taken years to develop, test and streamline treatments for the cancer, the society says.

Roughly 15 percent to 30 percent of people with CML go on to develop acute myeloid leukaemia. CML also typically affects more men than women, it says.

Last month, Weinstein underwent emergency heart surgery. His spokesperson told CNN at the time that he was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in New York for the procedure and was released shortly after.

"As we have extensively stated before, Mr. Weinstein suffers a plethora of significant health issues that need ongoing treatment," Weinstein's representatives said in September.

One week after he was released following heart surgery, Weinstein attended a court hearing where he pleaded not guilty to one count of a criminal sex act in the first degree after he was indicted on a new charge by a grand jury earlier in the month.

Earlier this year, an appeals court overturned Weinstein's 2020 conviction, which was a pivotal turning point in the #MeToo movement. He is tentatively set to be retried in New York on 12 November, though prosecutors have moved to combine Weinstein cases into one trial - a move to which his defence has strongly objected.

On Monday, Weinstein's spokesperson, Engelmayer, declined to comment on whether his upcoming trial might be impacted by his cancer diagnosis.

- CNN