In October of 2015, beloved actor Val Kilmer was hospitalized and rumored to be near death as a result of a tumor in his throat for which he had reportedly refused traditional treatments.
Sources say Kilmer, a devout Christian Scientist, was working with an expert who promised to help him “talk and meditate” his way back to health.
After several months of concealing his neck with a handkerchief (as in the photograph above) Kilmer eventually disappeared from the public eye altogether.
He was fitted with a tracheostomy tube in December, and several insiders say it cost the 56-year-old the ability to speak.
Reps for Kilmer have offered very little with regard to news of his health, but they have dispelled the rumor that he can no longer talk.
Sources claim that in January, Kilmer underwent a life-saving surgery, and while his reps neither confirmed not denied that an emergency procedure took place, the actor was not seen in public for several months afterward.
In fact, it was just yesterday that Kilmer was photographed by paparazzi for the first time in nearly six months.
The surgery reportedly removed a several tumors that had spread to Kilmer’s lymph nodes.
The latest photos of Val show him walking under his own power without any visible scarring.
However, many fans have noted that Kilmer seems to have lost a frightening amount of weight.
Kilmer, who was sadly chided for his weight gain in the months before news of his health troubles went public, now appears astonishingly gaunt.
It’s unclear if the actor’s weight loss is related to his cancer treatment, but the newest photos of Val have done little to allay fans’ concerns about his health.
Whatever the case, it seems that Val has received or is currently receiving treatment for his health.
We wish him all the best and hope to see the man who wowed with countless memorable performances return to the big screen in the very near future.