Val Kilmer Says He Did Have Cancer But Is Now “Healing”, Isn’t Feuding With Tom Cruise

After denying the illness on several occasions, Val Kilmer admitted that he had oral cancer but is now “healing.” The actor spoke about his fight with cancer during a recent Reddit AMA session.

“A while ago, Michael Douglas claimed you had terminal cancer. What was the story behind that?” a Redditor asked.

Douglas and Kilmer worked together on The Ghost and the Darkness (1996). Douglas also suffered from oral cancer and had previously reached out to Kilmer to offer advice and friendship.

“He 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 although it’s healing all the time,” Kilmer responded on Reddit. “Because I don’t sound my normal self yet people think I may still be under the weather.”

After checking into the hospital in 2015 amidst rumors he had cancer, Kilmer took to Facebook to try and clear the air, even though, as we know now, he was lying.

“There’s a rumor I’m unwell again and in in hospital which is totally untrue. I was in to verify I have no tumor or infection of any kind which was verified by the very caring experts at UCLA,” Kilmer said.

Kilmer also commented on a question asking if he had a real life feud with Tom Cruise during the filming of Top Gun.

“No. He was a sweet heart,” Kilmer began. “We were all quite rowdy me and all the real flyboys and the actors, so I actually felt a little sorry for him cause we all had time to play and date the cute extras and zoom around San Diego in muscle cars, but Tom was always in some scene and never [got] to play with us.”

Kilmer has just finished up performing his one-man show, Citizen Twain and is currently promoting the recorded film version of the show, Cinema Twain, which is now being screened for selected audiences.