Val Kilmer Denies He Has Cancer

Val Kilmer is denying reports that he's suffering from cancer.

The Top Gun (1986) star assured fans on Nov. 1, 2016 that despite claims from Hollywood pal Michael Douglas, he's in good health. "I love Michael Douglas but he is misinformed," Kilmer wrote on his Facebook page. "The last time I spoke to him was almost two years ago, when I asked him for a referral for a specialist to get a diagnosis for a lump in my throat...I ended up using a team at UCLA and have no cancer whatsoever." He added, "I still have a swollen tongue and am rehabbing steadily."

As Nicki Swift previously reported, Douglas recently claimed Kilmer, 56, was battling throat cancer. "Val was a wonderful guy who is dealing with exactly what I had, and things don't look too good for him," he told The Sun. Douglas overcame his own battle with oral cancer in 2013. "My prayers are with him. That's why you haven't heard too much from Val lately."

Kilmer put a positive spin on Douglas' statements and the flurry of press attention it generated. "Some fans have mistakenly thought my silence about my personal issues meant that somehow I wasn't being responsible to my health, because of my reliance on prayer and love," said Kilmer via Facebook. "Nothing could be further from the truth. I hope this puts to rest any further concerns about my health by publications that have no respect for the truth. Whatever led Michael Douglas to speculate about my health, he's a loving and devoted friend to a privileged group of talent [sic] people around the world, and I'm sure he meant no harm."