Cher pays tribute to her 'funny' and 'crazy' ex Val Kilmer after his death: 'Will miss you'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The death of acclaimed 'Top Gun' actor Val Kilmer has led to an outpouring of tributes, including a heartfelt message from his former girlfriend, Cher.

Kilmer, 65, died on Tuesday, April 1, in Los Angeles of pneumonia.

Val Kilmer once wrote about Cher's 'steadfast love and loyalty'

Val Kilmer and Cher were romantically involved from 1982 to 1984 and remained close despite their split. Cher shared an emotional tribute to Kilmer on Wednesday.

Taking to social media to honor him, Cher wrote, "VALUS Will miss u."

"U Were funny, crazy, pain in the a**, GREAT FRIEND, kids [love] U. BRILLIANT as Mark Twain, BRAVE here during ur sickness," the 'Believe' singer added.

In his 2020 memoir, 'I'm Your Huckleberry', Kilmer had described Cher’s unwavering support, writing, "Once Cher works her way inside your head and heart, she never leaves."

He further wrote, "For her true friends, her steadfast love and loyalty never die."

Their relationship was widely discussed in Hollywood due to their 13-year age gap. Despite Cher being deeply in love with Kilmer, she revealed in November 2023 that he was the one who ended their relationship.

Cher was 'madly in love with Val Kilmer'

Last year, Cher reflected on their romance while promoting her book, 'Cher: The Memoir', during an interview on 'The Howard Stern Show.'

When Howard Stern asked her, "Who would ever leave you?" she responded, "Few men, few men," before elaborating, "Look, I was madly in love with Val Kilmer and he left."

Explaining why Kilmer ended things, Cher stated, "Because sometimes you're only meant to stay with someone so long," adding, "He was really young."

Cher helped Val Kilmer during his battle with cancer

Even after their breakup, Cher remained a strong supporter of Val Kilmer, especially during his fight with throat cancer.

In his memoir, he shared how Cher stepped up to help him after he was hospitalized, sharing funny moments together.

Following his hospital stay, she welcomed him into her Malibu guest house, offering him a place to recover.

Speaking about their relationship in 2018, Cher recalled, "When we kissed, I thought my head would shoot right off my body," as per the Daily Mail.

In 2021, Cher revealed that they first met at a birthday party her friend hosted for her.

"She said, 'I invited this guy and I think either you or my friend who's an editor will like him,'" Cher recalled.

"We became friends because we laughed at the same things constantly. He would sleep over and it was just a friendship [at first.] That took a long time. Well, I guess not really a long time," she added.

Cher acknowledged their 13-year age gap was a 'bigger deal back then'

Cher acknowledged that their 13-year age gap was a "bigger deal back then" and when Val Kimler made his big-screen debut in 'Top Secret' in 1984 that year, they broke up.

After watching Kilmer’s 2021 documentary 'Val', Cher wrote to Kilmer, "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."

Speaking about the documentary, she said, "He's a true artist and Renaissance man. He was sick and it didn't stop him. He created an extension of his art and his life."