Val Kilmer says he has ‘no cancer whatsoever,’ and that Michael Douglas is ‘misinformed’
Val Kilmer doesn’t have cancer, despite Michael Douglas’ comment in a recent interview that his costar in the 1996 film “The Ghost and the Darkness†was “dealing with exactly what I had.â€
Kilmer addressed Douglas’ comments in a Facebook post, noting that he had no hard feelings about the matter.
“I love Michael Douglas but he is misinformed,†the “Top Gun†actor wrote Tuesday afternoon. “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.â€
Those errant “Kilmer has cancer!†stories were sparked by a Q&A Douglas did Sunday at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London, where he talked about “The Ghost and the Darkness.â€
“The picture didn’t turn out as well as I hoped, but I had a wonderful time,†Douglas said, according to the Sun. “Val was a wonderful guy who is dealing with exactly what I had, and things don’t look too good for him.
“My prayers are with him. That’s why you haven’t heard too much from Val lately.â€
Hmmm. Maybe it was just Douglas who hadn’t heard much from Kilmer lately?
The “Wall Street†actor’s battle with cancer was fairly public, beginning with him linking his tongue cancer to oral sex (he later apologized for any embarrassment he might have caused his current or former wives). Earlier this year, Douglas’ rep told Gossip Cop that his client was “celebrating his fifth year clean†in the cancer department.
Kilmer, who is a Christian Scientist, denied in 2015 that he was dealing with a tumor or infection. He’d been spotted out in public at one point with what appeared to be a tracheostomy tube and for months had kept his neck covered up with shirts and scarves, sparking speculation.
“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,†he wrote Tuesday on Facebook. “Nothing could be further from the truth. Altho 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 [talented] people around the world, and I’m sure he meant no harm.â€
Oh, by the way, Kilmer would also like folks to know he’ll be in Westwood in the coming weeks in support of his “Citizen Twain†movie.
“I’ve only just begun, now that I’m finally telling stories that I’ve written and produced the way my vision intends them,†wrote. “God bless you all and I hope to see you in Westwood on the 10th and 17th at the Landmark.â€
Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ.
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