EXCLUSIVE: Loss of Val Kilmer 'Reunites Tom and Cher' — Cruise 'Burning Up the Phone Lines Trying to Console' Legendary Diva
Val Kilmer loss reunites Tom Cruise and Cher as the actor consoles the legendary heartbroken diva.
April 23 2025, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
Former couple Cher and Tom Cruise have reconnected – over the loss of their mutual friend Val Kilmer, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Sources said the willowy diva and height-challenged action star, who dated each other in the 1980s, were rocked by Kilmer's shocking April 1 death and have been burning up the phone lines trying to console each other.
An insider revealed: "For Tom, Val was a trusted friend and colleague and someone he respected wholeheartedly. For Cher, Val was the boyfriend who broke her heart, and she always carried a torch for him."
Val Kilmer's 'Top Gun: Maverick' co-star Tom Cruise honored him with a CinemaCon silence, while his ex Cher mourned him online as 'VALUS.'
"They had both been in close communication with Val throughout his battle with throat cancer, and his death has brought them closer together than ever," said the insider.
While mourning Kilmer's death, Cruise and Cher have apparently been bonding over old times, something the Tombstone star might have enjoyed.
"They're certain Val would've gotten a kick out of knowing they're back in touch in a big way and that his exit from this world was the gateway to that," explained the insider.
Sean Penn and Madonna's 1985 wedding unexpectedly sparked the original romance between Hollywood’s most surprising duo, Cher and Cruise.
Cher, 78, and Cruise, 62, dated briefly after meeting at Madonna and Sean Penn's wedding in 1985, finding common ground in that they are both dyslexic.
Coincidentally, the notorious If I Could Turn Back Time cougar also dated Kilmer between 1982 and 1984, and they remained friends afterward.
"It's interesting for Tom to share that history with Cher," said the insider. "It's not weird to them at all. In fact, it's comforting that they both knew Val so well."
Cruise considered himself lucky to have reunited with his Top Gun costar for the 2022 sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Mark Twain wasn’t Kilmer’s only legendary role – Cher compared the late star’s brilliance to the literary icon in a heartfelt tribute.
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He even gushed about the experience on Jimmy Kimmel Live, saying: "I was crying, I was crying. I got emotional. He's such a brilliant actor. I love his work."
After Kilmer's death at the age of 65, Cruise led a moment of silence for him at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, Cher bid farewell to Kilmer on X, writing: "VALUS," her nickname for the star: "Will miss u. U Were Funny, crazy, pain in the a--, GREAT FRIEND, kids [love] U."
She noted he was as "brilliant" as iconic writer Mark Twain, whom Val portrayed in both a play and a movie.
"Tom and Cher's love for Val is a common thread, and they're glad to have each other in their lives," said our source. "They've gotten SO close there's talk they may even get back together as a couple."
