Harrison and his wife, Olivia, released a statement Monday after a British tabloid newspaper reported that the star had confided to the Beatles’ former producer, George Martin, that he expected to die soon.

The couple said they were “disappointed and disgusted” by the Mail on Sunday‘s suggestion that the former Beatle was close to death.

“The reports were unsubstantiated, untrue, insensitive and uncalled for, especially as Mr. Harrison is active and feeling very well in spite of the health challenges he has had this year,” the statement said.

George Martin’s manager, Adam Sharp, said Monday that Martin had not made the comments reported in the newspaper.

Harrison has had a series of medical problems in recent years. In 1998, he successfully battled throat cancer, which he blamed on his smoking habit. Then in 2000, he was again fighting for his life after an intruder in his house stabbed the musician several times in the chest, almost killing him.

In May, he underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic in the U.S. to remove a cancerous tumor from one of his lungs. He was recently treated in Switzerland for a brain tumor.