Val Kilmer was bedridden for years before dying of pneumonia at the age of 65

Val Kilmer’s health severely declined a week prior to his death, TMZ reported a day after The Doors actor’s demise. According to the outlet’s sources, the late Hollywood icon was “very frail” before he passed away.

Per TMZ’s report, Val’s death was not “sudden,” and his family and friends accompanied him when he was hospitalized days before his passing. The actor, who hadn’t made a public appearance since 2019, was bedridden for years, sources told TMZ. The insider also revealed that the actor’s cancer treatment was the reason behind “a lack of energy,” which left him confined to bed.

Kilmer’s death was confirmed by his daughter, Mercedes, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. She told The New York Times that the actor was suffering from pneumonia. Mercedes also said that her father was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, something Val initially denied.

The last post from Val Kilmer’s Instagram handle was on March 23, which featured a painting. In February, The Choe Show (@choe_show) uploaded a collaborative post with Val Kilmer, which also featured a video of the actor donning the caped crusader’s mask. The clip was originally from April 2017, when the Batman Forever star visited David Choe’s studio in April 2017.

After his demise, it was also reported that Val Kilmer was planning to make a public appearance at the Beverly Hills Film Festival red carpet. He passed away hours before attending the event, the festival's president and founder, Nino Simone, confirmed in a statement.

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Val Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, but entered remission after a few years

The Tombstone actor was private about his cancer diagnosis and treatment initially. In January 2015, when TMZ published a report about Kilmer being hospitalized due to a throat tumor, the Hollywood star issued a statement refuting the story. He continued to deny subsequent reports and even rejected Michael Douglas’ claims in 2016, stating that his fellow actor was “misinformed.”

Val Kilmer eventually opened up about his cancer diagnosis and recovery during a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) session in 2017. The star responded to a fan’s question about The Basic Instinct actor’s statement. Kilmer answered:

“He [Douglas] was probably trying to help me cause press probably asked where I was these days. and I did have a healing of cancer, but my tongue is still swollen altho (sic) healing all the time. Because I don't sound my normal self yet people think I may still be under the weather.”

In 2021, Val, a documentary based on the actor’s struggles with cancer treatment, was released. The docufilm focused on the chemotherapy and tracheostomies that Kilmer underwent. It also showcased different moments of his life, including the homemade films he shot with his late brother, Wesley Kilmer.

The tracheostomies seemingly damaged the actor’s vocal cords and altered his voice, which he talked about in his documentary:

“Now that it's more difficult to speak, I want to tell my story more than ever… I obviously am sounding much worse than I feel.”

In 2021, Val Kilmer worked with Sonantic, a UK-based firm, to recreate an AI voice using his recordings. Sonantic released a short video featuring the actor’s AI-generated voice that said:

“A phrase we often hear is ‘having a creative voice.’ But I was struck by throat cancer. After getting treated, my voice as I knew it was taken away from me. People around me struggle to understand when I'm talking. But despite all that I still feel I'm the exact same person. Still the same creative soul."

The voice continued,

“A soul that dreams ideas and stories confidently, but now I can express myself again, bring these ideas to you, and show you this part of myself once more. A part that was never truly gone. Just hiding away.”

In a 2021 cover story on Val Kilmer by People, it was confirmed that the actor was cancer-free but still recovering from the treatment.