As news of Val Kilmer’s death spread across the world, an outpouring of grief flooded social media. Among the grief-stricken messages, music legend Cher shared an emotional message to “Valus” – the sweet name that has decades of memories for the couple who were madly in love in the 80s.
In the glittering world of 1980s Hollywood, where rockstars and movie stars collided in a whirlwind of passion, fame, and excess, Cher and Val Kilmer’s romance stood out as one of the most unexpected yet fascinating love stories of the decade.
Cher, the reigning goddess of pop, and Kilmer, a rising Hollywood heartthrob, seemed like an unlikely pair. She was 14 years his senior, already an icon, while he was a young actor still proving himself.
But the two were madly in love.
“Was he 22? What was I? I don’t know. 30-something. It was a bigger deal back then. The truth was if I hadn’t gone out with younger men, I would have never had a date. Younger men weren’t intimidated by older women. But older men in my age category, they weren’t having it,” Cher, 78, told People in 2021.
“He’s like nobody I’ve ever known. He is exasperating and hysterical. Thrilling and funny and doesn’t do what anyone else does.”
‘We just were’
And the pair even had cute nicknames for one another: “We called ourselves Sid and Ethel. Val didn’t want to yell ‘Cher,’ and I didn’t want to yell ‘Val.’ We also called ourselves Valus Maximus and Cherus Reprimandus. Of course he was Maximus,” the singer of “Believe” added.
But, like many love stories, the Mermaids star and Kilmer’s romance eventually ran its course.
“He was so beautiful. It went from madly in love and laughing hysterically to respecting each other’s ability,” she said of her decades-long friendship with the star of Batman Forever. “I don’t know how we stayed friends, we just did. We didn’t try. We just were.”
‘Brave the whole time’
When Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 and faced some of his darkest days, Cher stepped up in a big way.
“He was at my house a lot of the time he was sick. He was brave the whole time. I saw how sick he was…he was so sick and coughing up blood,” Cher told People.
In 2021, the outlet reported that The Doors actor had gone undergone a tracheostomy that permanently damaged his speaking voice, and he told his story in his documentary Val.
“I loved him – and I love him…Look what he created and even the things he let you see that nobody would let you see,” Cher said of the film that offers fans an intimate glimpse into the Willow star’s life. “Even the worst things, he wanted to be in the documentary because he wanted to show you who he was.”
Emotional farewell
As word spread of his death on April 1, social media erupted with tributes from fans and fellow celebrities alike. But one emotional farewell stood out from the rest.
A heartwarming message from Cher to Valus, the man she’s loved more than 40 years.
“VALUS. Will miss u, U Were Funny, crazy, pain in the ass, GREAT FRIEND, kids [heart] U, BRILLIANT as Mark Twain, BRAVE here during ur sickness,” she tweeted on April 2.
Fans quickly jumped into the comments section of her post, offering their love.
“I’m so sorry for your loss! May his brilliant soul rest in peace,” writes one fan.
A second shares, “It’s really sad. I know how special he was to you and the bond you shared.”
Another adds,” So sorry for your loss, Cher, I know y’all were close.”
It was a love story that defied the odds – a reminder that sometimes, the most unexpected romances burn the brightest.
Do you remember Cher and Val Kilmer’s iconic love story? Please share your thoughts and favorite memories in the comments below!
