How did Val Kilmer die? Daughter reveals ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Batman Forever’ actor’s cause of death

The curtain has fallen on one of Hollywood's charismatic and unpredictable icons.Val Kilmer passed away on April 1, 2025, at the age of 65.Kilmer, who was known for his roles in some of the biggest movies of the 1980s and 90s, including Top Gun and Batman Forever, also starred in 1991's The Doors by Oliver Stone - playing the legendary band's frontman Jim Morrison, which perhaps was his best performance that combined his skills as a stage actor with a fine singing voice.Although Kilmer had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, but made a full recovery. Hence, the throat cancer was not the cause of Kilmer’s death this year.In a statement to The New York Times, Kilmer’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, confirmed that pneumonia was the cause of his death. Kilmer had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 but made a full recovery.Kilmer revealed his throat cancer diagnosis in the 2021 documentary Val, where he discussed his journey through treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation, and a tracheostomy. The procedure permanently damaged his voice.Following the film’s release on Amazon Prime Video, Kilmer told PEOPLE, “Now that it’s more difficult to speak, I want to tell my story more than ever.”Kilmer revealed that the tracheostomy left a hole in Kilmer’s throat, which he often covered with a scarf or handkerchief.Kilmer told PEOPLE, “I can’t speak without plugging this hole. You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat.”Kilmer had revealed he used to eat through a feeding tube post that, saying, “It’s an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me.”Born on 31 December 1959, Val Edward Kilmer grew up in a middle-class family in Los Angeles. His parents were Christian Scientists, a movement to which Kilmer would adhere for the rest of his life.Aged 17, he became the then-youngest pupil to enrol at the Juilliard School, in New York, one of the world's most prestigious drama conservatories.Kilmer made his film debut in spy spoof Top Secret!, in 1984, written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. He played star Nick Rivers, sucked into an East German plot to reunify Germany. The film proved Kilmer had a good voice and he later released an album under the name of his fictional character.Kilmer then went on to work in Real Genius the following year, before cementing his acting credentials as Iceman, the nemesis to Cruise's character Maverick in 1986's Top Gun, one of the decade's defining movies.He also starred in fantasy Willow and crime thriller Kill Me Again - both alongside British actress Joanne Whalley.Kilmer's increased profile led to renewed press interest in his eventful private life. He dated Daryl Hannah, Angelina Jolie, and Cher.In 1988, Kilmer married Joanne Whalley, whom he had first met when they appeared in the fantasy film Willow. The couple had two children but divorced after eight years of marriage.