Inside Val Kilmer’s Christian Scientist faith and how he claimed ‘prayer’ cured cancer before his death at 65

Hollywood legend Val Kilmer drew an outpouring of grief from friends and fans when he succumbed to pneumonia Tuesday at the age of 65.

His death came 11 years after he was diagnosed with throat cancer, triggering a traumatic battle with the illness that he initially concealed from the public.

Throughout his health struggles, he found solace in Christian Science, a 19th century American movement that teaches that diseases are caused by the mind and that prayer works best as a cure in lieu of medicine.

When he contracted cancer, Kilmer went along with his religion at first and pursued healing exclusively through worship, but he eventually relented for the sake of his children and underwent a tracheotomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation.

He finally revealed his cancer battle to the public in 2017 – three years after his diagnosis – and credited ‘love’ and ‘prayer’ with his recovery.

Now DailyMail.com looks back on the beliefs Kilmer leaned on through his life…