Val Kilmer’s Causes Of Death Included Skin Cancer & Malnutrition

Baila Eve ZismanApril 16, 2025, 12:45 amNews >

The cause of actor Val Kilmer’s death has officially been revealed.

Kilmer died on April 1 at the age of 65. According to the death certificate, his death was due to pneumonia. Underlying causes were cited as chronic respiratory failure, acute hypoxemia respiratory failure (low oxygen delivery), and squamous cell carcinoma (skin cancer) on the base of the tongue. Other contributing factors were listed as malnutrition and a tracheocutaneous fistula (an abnormal connection between the trachea and skin).

Kilmer is best known for his roles in Batman Forever, Top Gun and The Doors. Over the years, his Hollywood films have raked in more than $3.8 billion.

His daughter, Mercedes, first shared news of his death.

Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. In his 2020 memoir, I’m Your Huckleberry, he opened up about his tumultuous medical history, writing, “Reports emerged that I was in denial. Well, denial is a funny thing. I was not denying that I had had cancer but was simply saying I no longer did…and to be honest, it was very hard to embrace my original diagnosis. It was surreal. I didn’t believe I was decomposing, and I wasn’t ready to die.”

The actor also revealed that he had made the mistake of ignoring some of the symptoms of throat cancer, leading to his initial hospitalization. He disregarded an occasion when he mysteriously lost his voice and felt a lump in the back of his throat that made it hard to swallow, not seeking medical attention until a year later.

He remembered in his memoir, “One night I suddenly awoke vomiting blood that covered the bed like a scene out of The Godfather… I prayed immediately, then called 911.”

His 2020 memoir saw Kilmer share that he had been “healed of cancer for over four years,” and a September 2021 People interview confirmed he was still cancer-free at the time.

Kilmer was cremated on April 7. In a statement at the time, Kilmer’s family shared, “Thank you for honoring our extraordinary father’s memory…We are so proud of him and honored to see his legacy celebrated.”