After more than a year of denying claims that he was sick, Val Kilmer has finally admitted that he had cancer, confirming Michael Douglas’ remarks he made during a Q&A session in London in November, 2016. Kilmer decided to share his cancer diagnosis with his fans during his own Q&A on Reddit on April 26, Wonderwall reports.
“A while ago, Michael Douglas claimed you had terminal cancer. What was the story behind that?” a fan asked Kilmer, to which the Tombstone actor responded, “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 healing all the time. Because I don’t sound my normal self yet people think I may still be under the weather.”
According to a previous report by the Inquisitr, the rumors regarding Val Kilmer’s health started in January, 2015, when news broke that he was bleeding from his throat and had to be rushed to the hospital. The rumors again started circulating in October, 2015, when reports emerged that Val had been diagnosed with a tumor after visiting the UCLA Medical Center. At the time, Kilmer denied both claims.
Val Kilmer confirms he had cancer https://t.co/4Ty4b5FCnX pic.twitter.com/8Y4dWPicMF
— Page Six (@PageSix) April 30, 2017
“Thank you all for your love and support,” Kilmer wrote in a Facebook post at the time. “There’s a rumor I’m unwell again and 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.”
Michael Douglas was diagnosed with stage four oral cancer in 2010. Douglas underwent treatments, and was declared cancer-free in 2011. Although fans had been speculating that there was something wrong with Val Kilmer for some time, it wasn’t until Michael Douglas’ interview that their fears were confirmed.
“Val was a wonderful guy who is dealing with exactly what I had, and things don’t look too good for him,” Douglas told host Jonathan Ross during the Q&A. “My prayers are with him. That’s why you haven’t heard too much from Val lately.”
Val Kilmer acknowledges health issues, says he’s ‘healing of cancer.’ https://t.co/iEb0WLdABt pic.twitter.com/LZVgNsMsYu
— EntertainmentTonight (@etnow) April 30, 2017
Once again, Kilmer denied the health claims, and responded to Douglas’ comments in a lengthy Facebook post, referring to his friend as “misinformed.”
“I love Michael Douglas but he is misinformed,” Val wrote. “The last time I spoke to him was almost two years ago, when I asked him for a referral for a specialist to get a diagnosis for a lump in my throat, which prevented me from continuing a tour of my play CITIZEN TWAIN. I ended up using a team at UCLA and have no cancer whatsoever. I still have a swollen tongue and am rehabbing steadily.
“Some fans have mistakenly thought my silence about my personal issues meant that somehow I wasn’t being responsible to my health, because of my reliance on prayer and Love,” Kilmer continued. “Nothing could be further from the truth. Although I am very grateful for all the support from around the world, when people found out I had a physical challenge. I hope this puts to rest any further concerns about my health by publications that have no respect for the truth. Whatever led Michael Douglas to speculate about my health, he’s a loving and devoted friend to a privileged group of talent people around the world, and I’m sure he meant no harm.”
What do you think about Val Kilmer finally admitting that he was suffering from cancer? Leave your comments below.
[Featured Image by Mark Humphrey/AP Images]