Val Kilmer shared his final Instagram post just days before his death at 65 on April 1, following a long battle with health issues. His daughter, Mercedes, confirmed he died from pneumonia. Kilmer had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, undergoing chemotherapy and a tracheotomy that damaged his vocal cords.
In his 2020 memoir I’m Your Huckleberry and the documentary Val, he spoke about his struggles, noting the difficulty of speaking due to his condition.
His final film appearance was in Top Gun: Maverick (2022), where he reprised his iconic role as Iceman. After his health challenges, he shifted focus to art, frequently sharing his paintings on Instagram. His last post, just before his death, featured a painting with a poetic caption about its “late-night glow.”
Kilmer’s last Instagram post with him in it was on February 23, when he wore a Batman mask alongside artist David Choe.
Tributes have poured in, with actor Josh Brolin calling him “a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker.”