14 DAY TRIAL // Actor Val Kilmer has been rushed to the hospital and had to undergo emergency surgery after he started bleeding through the mouth because of a supposed throat tumor, it has emerged.
TMZ reports that the star is now recovering from the surgical intervention and is believed to be on the mend, but he is yet to be released from the facility in Santa Monica.
Emergency hospitalization
The last time Val Kilmer was seen in public (occasional, from a distance paparazzi sightings not included) was on January 16, when he and his teenage son attended a Clippers game. Throughout the entire game, Kilmer kept his neck covered in an oversize scarf, but no one made too much of it at the time, perhaps thinking the scarf was a fashion statement.
Now, the aforementioned publication says, the family is concerned that Val has been neglecting his condition, which allowed it to get worse, so chances are that he’s known of the tumor for quite some time.
“Law enforcement sources tell us paramedics rushed to his Malibu home Monday night after someone called 911 and reported the bleeding,” TMZ says, adding that Kilmer was transported to the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, where he remains as of the time of writing.
The Santa Monica Fire Department confirms for People Magazine that someone was transported from Kilmer’s home address to the hospital using ALS, meaning advanced life support. However, they are not at liberty to reveal the patient’s identity.
In October, Kilmer was cited in a small claims case involving his landlord, TMZ adds, but he could not speak because his “tongue was swollen.” Again, this seems to confirm that he knew of the tumor and was probably receiving treatment for it.
Weight loss viral story
In recent months, we’ve been hearing a lot about Val Kilmer and his surprising weight loss, after years of being the butt of all jokes online for his ballooning weight.
When the first photos of a very slim and toned-looking Kilmer emerged online several months back, people close to him told the media, under the condition of anonymity, that he had simply decided he had had enough of being fat and started putting a bit more effort into leading a healthier life.
His new figure was credited to long walks on the beach, some time at the gym, and a much healthier eating plan, which cut out calorie bombs and unhealthy foods.
However, by December, after another paparazzi sighting, Kilmer was billed “gaunt” and “worryingly thin,” with several media outlets and commenters online saying that he had taken his weight loss plan a tad too far.
The story went viral but, of course, at the time, no one knew or even imagined that the weight loss could be directly connected to his deteriorating health.
On the upside, TMZ says that Kilmer is ok now, after surgery. We will keep you up to speed with his progress as more details emerge.