Late actor Val Kilmer followed the Christian Science movement, and was initially reluctant to pursue a traditional treatment path when he was diagnosed with cancer
Val Kilmer once confessed that when he sought treatment for his throat cancer it wasn’t entirely in line with his beliefs.
The Hollywood legend – who has died at the age of 65 after developing pneumonia – believed in Christian Science, a movement his parents followed too, and not to be confused with Scientology. And when he was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 he suggested that he didn’t initially want to go down the traditional treatment route, preferring to focus on prayer.
However, he did end up seeking traditional medical care because of his children. The late star shared daughter Mercedes and son Jack with his ex, actress Joanne Whalley, and once told The New York Times that they weren’t onboard with the way he planned to tackle his cancer.
Val was diagnosed in 2014 after experiencing symptoms, including waking up with blood on his pillow. In 2020 he told the publication that in Christian Science, his throat cancer was referred to as the “suggestion of throat cancer” and that “the idea is rather than say I have it or possess it, there is a claim, there’s a suggestion that this is a fact”.
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The Top Gun actor wanted to focus on spiritual healing. He believed that by praying and working with his Christian Science practitioner he could get to a place where his body would no longer “manifest outwardly what can be diagnosed as a malady”.
However, he ended up changing his mind on a treatment plan for Mercedes and Jack. They weren’t as convinced as he was about his path to wellness, and so the actor decided to go a more conventional route.
“I just didn’t want to experience their fear, which was profound,” he said. “I would’ve had to go away, and I just didn’t want to be without them.”
Val ended up having treatment including chemotherapy and radiation, as well as a tracheostomy. He did recover from cancer, but the treatment affected his voice and his ability to speak.
The actor had also turned to prayer as he fought the illness, sharing: “I prayed, and that was my form of treatment.” Discussing the effects of his treatment, he said that was what “caused my suffering”.
Opening up on his beliefs about death in the interview with The New York Times, Val explained that it is seen differently in Christian Science, as is the idea of time. “Someone comes up to you and says you have only four months to live, and the concept of time is a human one,” he explained. “So, if you describe the divine concept of time, there is no time.”
Heat and Batman Forever star Val passed away on Tuesday (April 1) in Los Angeles. Daughter Mercedes told US media that he died of pneumonia, and that he had been surrounded by family and friends.
Tributes have been pouring in, with fellow actor Josh Brolin saying Val was a “smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker”. Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola said he was “a wonderful person to work with and a joy to know”.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
