Entertainment
Legendary actor Val Kilmer dies at 65
Prolific American actor Val Kilmer, who was propelled to fame with “Top Gun” and went on to starring roles as Batman and Jim Morrison, has died at age 65, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
The cause of death was pneumonia, his daughter Mercedes Kilmer told the Times. He had battled throat cancer following a 2014 diagnosis, but later recovered, she said.
AFP has reached out to his representatives for comment.
Originally a stage actor, Kilmer burst onto the big screen full of charisma, cast as a rock star in Cold War spoof “Top Secret!” in 1984.
Two years later, he gained fame as the cocky, if mostly silent fighter pilot in training Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in box office smash hit “Top Gun,” playing a rival to Tom Cruise’s “Maverick.”
A versatile character actor whose career spanned decades, Kilmer toggled between blockbusters and smaller-budget independent films. He got a shot at leading man status in Oliver Stone’s “The Doors,” depicting Jim Morrison’s journey from a psychedelics-loving LA film student to 60s rock frontman.
After a cameo in Quentin Tarantino-written “True Romance,” Kilmer went on to star alongside Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in “Heat” and took a turn as the masked Gotham vigilante in “Batman Forever,” between the Bruce Wayne portrayals by Michael Keaton and George Clooney.
A 1996 Entertainment Weekly cover story dubbed Kilmer “The Man Hollywood Loves to Hate,” depicting him as a sometimes surly eccentric with exasperating work habits.
A New York Times interviewer in 2002 said Kilmer “hardly lives up to that reputation” and found the actor instead “friendly, buoyant and so open that he often volunteers personal details about his life and is quick to laugh at himself.”
“You have to learn to speak Val,” director D. J. Caruso told the newspaper.– ‘ Magical life’ –Born Val Edward Kilmer on New Year’s Eve 1959, he began acting in commercials as a child.
Kilmer was the youngest person ever accepted to the drama department at New York’s fabled Juilliard school, and made his Broadway debut in 1983 alongside Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon.
In Hollywood, the Los Angeles native longed to make serious films but found himself in a series of schlocky blockbusters and expensive flops in the early 2000s.
Chastened by a decade or more of low-budget movies, he was mounting a comeback in the 2010s with a successful stage show about Mark Twain that he hoped to turn into a film when he was struck by cancer.
“Val,” an intimate documentary about Kilmer’s stratospheric rise and later fall in Hollywood, premiered at the Cannes film Festival in 2021 and showed him struggling for air after a tracheotomy.
Kilmer “has the aura of a man who was dealt his cosmic comeuppance and came through it,” US publication Variety wrote of the film.
“He fell from stardom, maybe from grace, but he did it his way.”When he reprised his role as “Iceman” in the long-awaited sequel “Top Gun: Maverick,” Kilmer’s real-life health issues,and rasp of voice,were written into the character.“
Instead of treating Kilmer — and, indeed, the entire notion of Top Gun — as a throwaway nostalgia object, he’s given a celluloid swan song that’ll stand the test of time,” GQ wrote.
On his website, Kilmer said he had led a “magical life.”
“For more than half a century, I have been honing my art, no matter the medium. Be it literature, movies, poetry, painting, music, or tracking exotic and beautiful wildlife,” he wrote.
According to the Times, he is survived by two children, Mercedes and Jack Kilmer.
AFP
Entertainment
My son wants me to re-marry – Tiwa Savage
Jamil is the only child from Tiwa Savage’s previous marriage to talent manager Tunji Balogun, popularly known as TeeBillz.
Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Tiwa Savage has revealed that her son (Jamil Balogun), expressed a strong desire for her to find a husband rather than a “baby daddy.”
The conversation occurred while Savage was engaged in a lighthearted debate with a friend over the physical appeal of British rapper Skepta and actor Aaron Pierre.
As Savage scrolled through social media to show pictures to her friend, she said: “You remember the collaboration thing with Skepta? So, literally, we were talking about him and the whole Aaron Pierre thing. So, I was just like showing… so she was saying to me she doesn’t think Skepta is fine; she thinks Aaron is finer. I was going mad! I was going through his Instagram, and I was showing her like, ‘What about this one?’
According to the singer, Jamil immediately interjects, stating that she should not have a “baby daddy” because she deserves a “husband.”
And then Jamil goes, and he’s like, ‘What’s that? What are you showing her?’ Then I said, ‘My baby daddy,’ and then my son was like, ‘You are not going to have a baby daddy.’ And I am like, ‘Why would you say that?’ He said, ‘Because you deserve a husband.’” She explained.
Jamil is the only child from Tiwa Savage’s previous marriage to talent manager Tunji Balogun, popularly known as TeeBillz.
The pair married in 2013; the marriage was considered one of the biggest celebrity events in the Nigerian entertainment industry at the time. However, the marriage faced significant public challenges and internal friction, leading to a formal separation in 2016.
Since her divorce, Savage’s private life has been a frequent topic of public discussion.
Speculation regarding her relationship status has often linked her to various high-profile figures, including fellow musicians and international collaborators.
Most recently, her creative partnership with Skepta on the track “Gas” fueled rumors of a romance, though neither party confirmed a relationship beyond their professional work.
Entertainment
Asha Bhosle: Bollywood’s legendary singer dies aged 92
Her death marks the end of an era in Bollywood music – with her career spanning more than eight decades and encompassing more than 12,000 songs
Photo: Asha Bhosle / Credit: AFP
Asha Bhosle, a legendary Bollywood singer who became a cultural icon, has died aged 92, her son has confirmed.
The unrivalled queen of Indian playback singing died in Mumbai, having been admitted to hospital after suffering a heart attack.
Her death marks the end of an era in Bollywood music – with her career spanning more than eight decades and encompassing more than 12,000 songs.
Bhosle’s distinctive voice breathed life into countless film songs as actors lip-synced to her unforgettable tracks.
Bhosle’s distinctive voice breathed life into countless film songs as actors lip-synced to her unforgettable tracks.
(BBC)
Entertainment
Tuface, Laolu Gbenjo, others set to electrify Vanguard Personality of the Year Award
The 14th edition of the prestigious award ceremony will take place at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, on April 24, 2026, at 5 p.m.
Afrobeats legend, Tuface Idibia, is set to thrill guests at this year’s Vanguard Personality of the Year Award.
Known for his timeless hits that resonate across generations, the iconic performer is expected to deliver an unforgettable performance featuring his evergreen songs.
Also billed to entertain at the glamorous event is The Laolu Gbenjo Band, one of Nigeria’s most celebrated live music groups. Adding more excitement to the lineup is the Black Edge Performance Troupe.
The 14th edition of the prestigious award ceremony will take place at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, on April 24, 2026, at 5 p.m.
Interestingly, the event promises to be a night dedicated to celebrating outstanding Nigerians who have excelled in various sectors.
Over the years, Vanguard Personality of the Year Award has grown into one of the country’s most distinguished media recognitions.
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