Val Kilmer was reportedly bedridden for years before his death at the age of 65, as his health deteriorated following a long battle with illness.
The Hollywood legend—renowned for his roles in Top Gun, Batman Forever, and The Doors—passed away from pneumonia in Los Angeles on Tuesday, over a decade after being diagnosed with throat cancer.
According to family sources who spoke to TMZ, Kilmer’s energy levels had been severely impacted by his cancer treatments, leaving him confined to bed in recent years.
While he was declared cancer-free at the time of his death, his body ultimately “couldn’t keep fighting and shut down,” the insider said.
Kilmer was described as “very frail” in his final days, with his health said to have declined rapidly in the past week.
Loved ones, including close family and friends, were reportedly by his side in the hospital before he passed.
He had also been hospitalised earlier this year, though details of that stay remain unclear.
His daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, whom he shared with ex-wife Joanne Whalley, confirmed the heartbreaking news of his passing this week.
Kilmer was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and underwent multiple treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation, and a tracheotomy—a surgical procedure that left him with permanent damage to his voice.
By 2020, Kilmer confirmed he had been cancer-free for four years, but the impact on his voice was irreversible.
In 2021, the Batman Forever star opened up about his harrowing health journey in the Amazon Prime documentary Val.
He spoke candidly about the difficult choices he had to make, explaining, “You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat.”
“I obviously am sounding much worse than I feel. I can't speak without plugging this hole," he continued - pointing to his throat.
As well as his voice being affected, the star revealed he was being fed his meals through a tube.
“You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat. It's an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me," he said.
Despite the challenges, he remained determined to share his story and continue his passion for acting.
Against the odds, Kilmer made a triumphant return to the big screen in 2022, reprising his role as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in Top Gun: Maverick alongside longtime friend Tom Cruise.
Due to his impaired speech, his voice in the film was digitally recreated using AI technology, piecing together past recordings to bring his lines to life.
The emotional on-screen reunion between Kilmer and Cruise left audiences moved, with Cruise later admitting that he was brought to tears during the scene.
Fans celebrated Kilmer’s return to the franchise, and Top Gun: Maverick went on to become the highest-grossing film of 2022.
The actor is survived by his two children, Mercedes and son Jack.
