Director Repeats Abuse Claims Against Val Kilmer on 2008 Set

A year after Val Kilmer’s death, filmmaker Adam Marcus has renewed severe allegations about the actor’s conduct during the 2008 shoot of Hidden Crimes. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Marcus said Kilmer sexually harassed women on set, used abusive language, arrived late, showed up intoxicated, and made working conditions unbearable.

Marcus first posted the accusations on Facebook last week, saying Kilmer was physically violent, verbally abusive, often “on something,” and regularly hours late. He wrote that Kilmer was paid $1.5 million and behaved in a wholly unprofessional way, adding that if he acted today as he did then, “he would be canceled in a second.” The post sparked online backlash and was later deleted, but Marcus told the Daily Mail he stands by it, insisting, “The worst human being I’ve ever met, that is true. There is no exaggeration there.”

According to Marcus, Kilmer arrived on the first day “drunk on alcohol” to the point that an ambulance had to be called to give him an IV. He said Kilmer later kicked him in the groin, laughed while Marcus collapsed to the floor, and had earlier apologized in tears, saying, “I’m ruining your movie, I love you, I don’t want it to end this way.” Marcus also alleged that Kilmer made homophobic remarks, nearly fell off a cliff while under the influence of vodka and painkillers, and sexually harassed several women, including Marcus’s wife.

Marcus further claimed Kilmer harassed a disabled fan invited to the set, angered executives at Sony with obscene gestures, and ignored his attempts to report the behavior to production. He said the experience nearly pushed him out of the industry, summing up: “Kilmer turned everyone’s life into hell.” A representative for Kilmer’s son, Jack Kilmer, declined to comment, saying, “No comment, and it’s just ridiculous.”