Val Kilmer's Tumor Untreated Because of Religion, Says Family

The family of actor Val Kilmer say they fear he isn't being treatment for a reported tumor because of his Christian Science religion, according to TMZ.

Kilmer has been hospitalized since last week at the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica among conflicting reports from celebrity websites and the actor's own  Facebook posts about his condition. TMZ and other media sources said the actor is being treated for a throat tumor.

"Contrary to his earlier Facebook post, Val Kilmer is undergoing tests for a possible tumor, according to his representative," reported USA Today. "Liz Rosenberg confirmed late Saturday afternoon to The Associated Press that the 55-year-old actor is at a Los Angeles hospital and that doctors are 'encouraged by his progress' and hopeful he will make a full recovery."

The actor pushed back on Facebook.



"Family members tell TMZ ... Val has known about the tumor since summer," wrote TMZ. "He had trouble speaking and his neck swelled to the point he covered it up with scarves and other clothing items. The family members say they urged Val to seek treatment but he would have none of it because of his Christian Science beliefs. They say he shunned medical treatment and anyone who persisted got cut out of his life."

The New York Post reported that when Kilmer attended a Los Angeles Clippers games with his son Jack on Jan. 17, he wore a scarf around his neck.

On Monday, Kilmer issued a long rambling response to Saturday's USA Today story, again denying that he had a tumor before steering off into unrelated topics. He encouraged followers to leave responses, which has led to more than 4,000 comments on the post.




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