Funeral Plans for Val Kilmer 'On Hold' As Family Mourns Death of 'Top Gun' Icon After Brutal Throat Cancer Fight
April 7 2025, Published 3:45 p.m. ET
Details of a final goodbye for actor Val Kilmer have been put on hold, RadarOnline.com can reveal, as the actor's family asks for some private time to mourn.
The decorated star passed away on April 1, after a lengthy battle with throat cancer.
Kilmer's family announced his passing last week.
Kilmer's daughter Mercedes, 33, announced the passing of her famous father from pneumonia. He was 65.
Since then, his family has been busy making arrangements and finalizing his legacy. Mercedes and her brother, Jack, 29, are handling the funeral arrangements, but have yet to make their plans publicly known.
After several days of silence, Mercedes, Jack, and their mother, Kilmer's ex-wife Joanne Whalley, finally issued a statement.
It read: "Thank you for honoring our extraordinary father's memory. We are so proud of him and honored to see his legacy celebrated."
The statement concluded by asking for some time alone: "At this time, we would like to grieve privately."
Ex-wife Joanne Whalley and daughter Mercedes have asked for privacy.
The heartfelt message comes as Whalley and Mercedes shared an emotional reunion in Los Angeles while mourning their loss. On Wednesday, Mercedes hugged her mom tightly outside of her West Hollywood home.
Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 after spitting up blood and endured extensive treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and a tracheotomy, which left him with permanent vocal damage and using a voice box to talk.
The cancer fight was taxing both on his spirit and on his bank account, and there are serious questions about the legacy he will be leaving his kids.
Like their father, Mercedes and Jack are also actors, and both had a strong relationship with him, especially in his later years during his battle with cancer.
The two frequently appeared in public with him, and Jack even narrated his father’s documentary, Val, when Kilmer’s voice was severely affected by the illness.
Kilmer's funeral plan has yet to be decided.
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Kilmer's 2021 film was a personal revelation, focusing on his many professional adventures, Kilmer also filmed his many challenges – most specifically the throat cancer and a tracheostomy that made it difficult for him to speak.
His son reads his father's words: "I was recently diagnosed with throat cancer. Though I healed quickly from the cancer. the extensive radiation and chemotherapy that followed treatment has left my voice impaired. I am still recovering, and it is still difficult to talk and be understood."
There are moments when the Tombstone star struggled to talk to the camera, pressing on his throat to speak in a weakened, raspy voice.
At times, Kilmer is incredibly honest about how the cancer changed his life, sharing glimpses of the tracheotomy band around his neck and the artificial hole that allows him to speak.
He also addresses his thoughts on death: "I see this hole in my throat, and I wonder whether people wonder if I had any fear of dying.
"I have had fears, but none that have ever been overwhelming about my life because I don't believe in death. My whole life, I've tried to see the world as one piece of life. That's how I understand it, right? As you pull back from the planet, you see that we're all one life source."
