Cher Pays Sweet Tribute To 'Pain In The A**' Ex-Boyfriend Val Kilmer After His Death

Hollywood legend Cher penned a heartfelt tribute to her late ex-boyfriend Val Kilmer in the way only Cher can, with a pithy, moving post on X.

The Oscar winner and late actor dated in the early 1980s shortly before Kilmer's career skyrocketed following his appearance as Iceman in the '80s classic Top Gun.

The pair met at a birthday party and hit it off on the basis of a shared sense of humor. They became friends and then began dating. In 2021, Cher said she marveled at how great Kilmer was with her kids, Chaz Bono and Elijah Blue Allman.

Later in life, Cher helped care for Kilmer during his battle with throat cancer in the 2010s and early 2020s, his "brave" approach to which she called out in her X post.

Cher wrote:

"U were funny, crazy, pain in the a*s, GREAT FRIEND... BRAVE here during ur sickness"

Aside from Top Gun, Kilmer was best known for blockbuster films like The Doors, Batman Forever and Tombstone, but in her post, Cher called out a lesser-known role: his performance as Mark Twain in the 2012 Broadway one-man show Citizen Twain.

Kilmer and Cher maintained a friendship for years after their partnership ended. In 2021, she shared with People that the two had connected that year after the documentary about him, Val , premiered.

Cher said she texted him using the Roman-style nicknames for each other that she referenced in her X post, "Vallus Maximum" and "Cherus Reprimandus." She shared in the text how much she loved the film and how much he still meant to her.

She said Kilmer replied: "Oh, this means more to me than you'll ever know. Love you forever, Sid."

On social media, people were deeply moved by Cher's post and her history with Kilmer.

Kilmer was declared cancer-free in 2021. His daughter Mercedes Kilmer confirmed he passed of pneumonia this week at 65, surrounded by his family.