Val Kilmer died at 65 in Los Angeles from pneumonia after battling throat cancer.
Despite past high-profile relationships, Kilmer spent his last years single and often felt lonely.
His marriage to Joanne Whalley ended in 1996, and his breakup with Daryl Hannah deeply affected him.
Val Kilmer spent the last decades of his life single.
The Top Gun actor’s death was announced by his family yesterday after he died from pneumonia at the age of 65.
His death came after a long fight with throat cancer that left him needing a voice box and feeding tube.
He was surrounded by family and friends – but despite being one of Hollywood’s most infamous Casanovas in his heyday, did not have a spouse or long-term partner at his side.
In a resurfaced quote from his memoir being shared by fans after his death, the actor, also known for roles in Batman Forever and The Doors, once admitted: “The truth is I am lonely part of every day.”
Kilmer, once considered one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men, had lived alone for more than two decades following a string of high-profile relationships and a short-lived marriage.
He was romantically linked to several co-stars and celebrities throughout the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.
But after a series of failed relationships, he spent his later years largely in solitude.
Actor Val Kilmer seen in 2019, one of his last public appearances. Photo / Getty Images
In his 2020 memoir, I’m Your Huckleberry, the then-60-year-old actor spoke candidly about the impact of being single.
He said: “I haven’t had a girlfriend in 20 years. The truth is I am lonely part of every day.”
Kilmer met Joanne Whalley in 1987 while working together on the film Willow.
The couple began dating and married the following year.
Whalley, an actor from Salford, Greater Manchester, in the UK, was widely regarded as one of the greatest loves of Kilmer’s life.
The couple welcomed their daughter, Mercedes, in 1991, and their son, Jack, in 1995, but their marriage ended in divorce the following year.
Over the years, Kilmer was also romantically linked to several high-profile figures, including Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Cindy Crawford.
Val Kilmer and Daryl Hannah during the "Wonderland" Hollywood Premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 2003. Photo / Getty Images
But it was his brief relationship with actor Daryl Hannah in 2001 that left the deepest impact on him.
He said in his autobiography: “Lord knows I’ve suffered heartache. But Daryl was by far the most painful of all.”
Kilmer also admitted the break-up left him devastated, saying: “I knew I would love her with my whole heart forever and that love has lost none of its strength. I am still in love with Daryl.”
