Val Kilmer’s official cause of death confirmed following Top Gun and Batman star’s death at the age of 65
Val Kilmer’s death was announced at the beginning of the month, with the official cause of death now having been revealed as pneumonia, according to his death certificate obtained by TMZ.
The certificate, issued by the Los Angeles County Department of Health, confirmed what Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes had previously told The New York Times about her father’s passing.
The actor, best known for his roles in Top Gun, Batman Forever and The Doors, died after a long health battle and was cremated on April 7, a week after his death.
The death certificate revealed several underlying causes that contributed to Kilmer’s death, which included acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, chronic respiratory failure, and squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue.
Squamous cell carcinoma is also known as laryngeal cancer and develops in the lining of the throat, including the larynx and pharynx, with additional contributing factors listed on the death certificate, including malnutrition and a tracheocutaneous fistula.
A tracheocutaneous fistula is an abnormal complication between the trachea and the skin, often occurring after a tracheostomy tube is removed.
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The actor had been battling health issues for over a decade, with his throat cancer diagnosis coming in 2014, leaving the disease and subsequent treatments to have had a significant impact on his ability to speak in recent years.
Kilmer had been open about his cancer journey in recent years, and in his 2020 memoir I’m Your Huckleberry, he revealed he had “been healed of cancer for over four years” with no recurrences.
The actor initially ignored symptoms before seeking medical attention and wrote: “One night I suddenly awoke vomiting blood that covered the bed like a scene out of The Godfather,” before recalling that he “prayed immediately, then called 911.”
Following his diagnosis, he underwent a tracheotomy, chemotherapy, and radiation, with his daughter Mercedes later telling People magazine: “The prognosis did not look good.”
The treatments severely damaged his vocal cords, forcing him to learn to speak again.
“There are things we do every day to soothe the vocal cords and to repair them, but they’re very damaged,” his son Jack told People in 2021.
Kilmer’s final on-screen performance came in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, where he reprised his role as Iceman, with the film poignantly acknowledging his real-life health struggles, with his character also facing serious health issues.
Following Kilmer’s death, Tom Cruise paid tribute to his co-star at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
“I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick,” Cruise said.
He added: “I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us.
“Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him. I wish you well on the next journey.”
Cruise had previously described their reunion scene in Maverick as “pretty emotional.”