Val Kilmer’s Official Cause of Death Revealed

“Batman Forever” star Val Kilmer’s death certificate has been released, confirming his official cause of death.

In the new doc, obtained by TMZ, Kilmer’s cause of death is listed as pneumonia, which was the cause cited by his daughter Mercedes Kilmer when she announced his April 1 death at 65.

According to the death certificate, contributing factors in his death include acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, chronic respiratory failure, and squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue.

Kilmer’s family released a statement coinciding with the announcement of his death, telling People magazine, “Thank you for honoring our extraordinary father's memory. We are so proud of him and honored to see his legacy celebrated. At this time, we would like to grieve privately."

Family sources told TMZ that Val had been confined to his bed for years before his death, mostly due to the aftermath of cancer treatments from his throat cancer diagnosis in 2014.

The insiders said he was already weak when his health deteriorated over the week leading up to his passing, and friends and family were able to gather by his side at the hospital.

TMZ notes that Kilmer had also been hospitalized earlier in the year.

After undergoing radiation, chemotherapy, and a tracheostomy, Kilmer had long difficulty speaking, but was in remission from the throat cancer.

In his 2021 documentary “Val,” he shared, "I can't speak without plugging this hole [in my throat]. You have to make the choice to breathe or to eat," adding that he used a feeding tube. "It's an obstacle that is very present with whoever sees me."