Val Kilmer's daughter Mercedes announced today that her father had died at the age of 65 from pneumonia. However, the star suffered numerous health conditions in the years preceding his death, which significantly impacted his life and career. In 2014, he received a diagnosis of throat cancer, a serious illness that drastically altered his ability to communicate. The disease not only took away his voice but also required him to rely on a feeding tube to meet his nutritional needs.
As part of his treatment regimen, the talented actor endured an arduous combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgical interventions aimed at managing his symptoms and combating the disease. Despite these intensive efforts, his condition necessitated a tracheostomy in 2015. This surgical procedure involved creating a stoma, or opening, in his neck that connected directly to his trachea, allowing him to breathe more easily by inserting a tube through this opening.
Sadly, the tracheostomy permanently damaged Kilmer's vocal cords, leaving his voice irrevocably altered. The impact of these health struggles was particularly evident in his final film appearance in Top Gun: Maverick, released in 2022. In the film, Kilmer reprised his iconic role as Iceman, but the changes in his condition were apparent. He communicated with his old friend Maverick, played by Tom Cruise, through typed messages instead of spoken dialogue.
However, Kilmer said he was fortunate during his darkest days to have the support of his good friend and former girlfriend Cher by his side. The couple dated for two years, from 1982 until 1984, after they met at a birthday party for the Believe singer. Kilmer was 23 at the time, and Cher was 36. Despite going their separate ways, the former couple maintained a deep respect for one another. In his 2020 memoir, I’m Your Huckleberry, Kilmer opened up about how the 78-year-old music icon had invited him to stay in her guest house while his health was declining, and he recalled one particularly terrifying evening at her home.
"One night I suddenly awoke vomiting blood that covered the bed like a scene out of The Godfather. I prayed immediately, then called 911. Then alerted my hostess. Cher stepped in and stepped up,” writes Kilmer who adds that even in all the chaos, she was able to make him laugh. "And yet even in my grave condition, I saw her scanning the paramedic, who was Gregory Peck drop-dead handsome. Only in Hollywood, right? Despite the fact that I was covered in blood, I caught her eye and bounced my brows like Groucho Marx. Hubba hubba.
"Cher was bashful to be busted but then couldn’t help laughing out loud at the audacity. Here we were, joking about beauty and desire, while I looked like a stunt man from Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and, yes, while my life seemed to be in mortal danger. We laughed out loud before they finished with my vitals and shut me up with an oxygen mask.”
