Val Kilmer’s family has addressed the Hollywood legend’s tragic death at 65. The late actor’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, 33, and son, Jack Kilmer, 29, expressed their desire to “grieve privately” in a statement shared with People on Thursday.
Remembering Val Kilmer: From Batman Forever to Top Gun, a look at his iconic roles | Photos
Val Kilmer’s family addresses ‘extraordinary’ star’s tragic death at 65
The Top Gun star died of pneumonia on Tuesday, April 1, in Los Angeles, Mercedes confirmed to New York Times. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but later recovered, she added.
In Thursday’s statement, Kilmer’s family said, “Thank you for honoring our extraordinary father’s memory. We are so proud of him and honored to see his legacy celebrated. At this time, we would like to grieve privately.”
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The Heat actor’s last public appearance was with his daughter during the annual Thespians Go Hollywood Gala at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles in 2019, per the outlet.
Kilmer shared Mercedes and Jack with his ex-wife Joanne Whalley, with whom he tied the knot in 1988. They were together for eight years until their divorce in 1996.
The 63-year-old actress had filed for divorce from Kilmer, citing “irreconcilable differences.” The Batman Forever star only found out about it while watching CNN in a hotel room.
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“It was no fun,” he told Tampa Bay Times at the time. Kilmer further told the outlet, “I miss my children every single way that’s possible, and ways I didn’t know were possible.”
In his memoir, Kilmer revealed that he had stopped dating in the years before his death. “I haven’t had a girlfriend in 20 years. The truth is I am lonely part of every day,” he wrote according to a 2020 People article.