Val Kilmer 'cried every day for six months' after split from actress he loved with his 'whole heart'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Val Kilmer had dated some of the most notable stars of Hollywood, yet there was one girlfriend whom he probably loved more than anyone else.
The ‘Top Gun’ star died on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, aged 65, after suffering from pneumonia. While the actor was single for the last two decades till his death, he once had a great love in the form of actress Daryl Hannah, from whom it was difficult for him to move on.
'Wonderland' (Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)
Apart from the ‘Steel Magnolias’ actress, the ‘Heat’ actor dated some of the hottest women in Hollywood, including Angelina Jolie, Cindy Crawford, and Cher. Yet, the actor shared in his 2020 memoir titled ‘I’m Your Huckleberry: A Memoir’ that moving on from the now 64-year-old Daryl was the hardest for him.
Val Kilmer cried ‘every single day for half a year’ after his breakup from Daryl Hannah
Val Kilmer and Daryl Hannah dated in 2001, after meeting first on the set of the film ‘In God We Trust’, People reported.
During the same time, they were also working together in their 2002 movie ‘Hard Cash’ and put up a cozy display during the ‘Wonderland’ premiere in Hollywood, as per The Mirror.
They, however, separated after a year or two of dating. Despite the short duration of their romance, the late actor revealed in his memoir that he had the hardest time forgetting her.
In his memoir, he wrote, "Lord knows I've suffered heartache. But Daryl was by far the most painful of all."
He also took a swipe at Daryl’s husband Neil Young whom she married in 2018, and wrote, "Neil Young, I always loved you, but I'm afraid I hate you now."
As reported by The Sun, the actor went on to mourn his lost love, and admitted that he "knew" he would love her with his "whole heart forever and that love has lost none of its strength".
"I am still in love with Daryl,” confessed the actor, before revealing, “When we broke up, I cried every single day for half a year."
Val Kilmer reflected on his dating life in his memoir
Val Kilmer was previously married to actress Joanne Whalley from 1988 to 1996, and they welcomed two children together—daughter Mercedes, 33, and son Jack, 29.
Apart from talking about Daryl Hannah in his book, Kilmer also opened up about his relationships with Cher, Crawford, among others.
He credited Cher—whom he dated in the 1980s—with helping him pass through some of his darkest days. He gushed about the songstress in his memoir, “Once Cher works her way inside your head and heart, she never leaves. For her true friends, her steadfast love and loyalty never die."
About Cindy Crawford, he wrote, “I thought I could have died from her love, not because it was difficult but because its delight was simply too much to bear,” according to the New York Post.
In his book, he explained the reason behind his fondness for woman, writing, “I’ve always found women infinitely more interesting than men,” before adding, “Perhaps that’s why we’ve always gotten along. We are big oafy elephants … and they are butterflies,” per Men's Journal.
Kilmer, who previously successfully battled throat cancer in 2014, also wrote in his 2020 memoir, "I have been healed of cancer for over four years now, and there has never been any reoccurrence. I am so grateful."
