Cher is mourning the loss of her former partner, Val Kilmer, who passed away on April 1 at the age of 65 after a battle with pneumonia, his daughter confirmed to The Associated Press.
Kilmer had been previously treated for throat cancer. The Oscar-winning singer and actress took to social media to share a heartfelt tribute to the actor, whom she dated in the 1980s, remembering their bond and the lasting impact he had on her life.
“VALUS Will miss u, U Were Funny, crazy, pain in the ass, GREAT FRIEND, kids (heart)U, BRILLIANT as Mark Twain, BRAVE here during ur sickness,” Cher wrote on April 2, using the nickname she gave him, Valus Maximus, and referencing his iconic stage role as Mark Twain.
“We called ourselves Sid and Ethel. Val didn’t want to yell ‘Cher,’ and I didn’t want to yell ‘Val.’ We also called ourselves Valus Maximus and Cherus Reprimandus. It was just kind of who I was in the household. Of course, he was Maximus, come on,” she explained in a 2021 interview with People.
Kilmer, known for his memorable roles in classics like Top Gun, Heat, Batman Forever, and Tombstone, was a charismatic leading man in the 1980s, and his relationship with Cher made headlines at the time, for their 13-year age gap.
“He was so young. Was he 22? What was I? Thirty-something. It was a bigger deal back then,” Cher recalled, speaking about their age difference in an interview. Despite the odds, their relationship was filled with love and appreciation for each other.
In a revealing 2024 interview with Howard Stern, Cher admitted to being crushed when Kilmer ended their relationship. “I was madly in love with Val Kilmer, and he left,” she shared. “Sometimes, you’re only meant to stay with someone so long, and Val was, like — he was really young.”
Cher also reflected on how their connection evolved over time, ultimately leading to mutual respect. “Our sense of humor, and what we would put up with from one another, was more than I think I’ve ever had with any other guy,” she revealed.
Cher continued, “He would just go off and do his own thing, and you just had to be prepared. And he was so beautiful. It went from madly in love and laughing hysterically to respecting each other’s ability.”
Cher explained that she reached out to Kilmer after seeing his moving documentary. “I loved him—and I love him,” Cher said. “I (just wrote to him), I said, ‘Valus Maximus, I’m sorry if I did anything to piss you off or hurt your feelings. I love you and your documentary was all things... I love the things that pissed me off, the things that made me hysterical, amazed, hurt, astonished, etc. You are brave and beyond brilliant. Ethel.’”