We all have celebrity crushes, but only a choice few who do are celebrities… with hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers.
Enter Val Kilmer.
The actor spent a good chunk of his weekend tweeting about his celebrity crush — Cate Blanchett — and some felt it crossed a line. Did Kilmer’s tweetstorm go over the edge? Let’s break it down.
Kilmer started off by telling a story of how he apparently flew to Australia just to meet Blanchett, but met her husband instead.
Once I flew all the way to Australia just to talk to Cate Blanchett. Her husband met me first. Or, instead, I guess, to be accurate. pic.twitter.com/xSoYxRi0jh
— Val Kilmer (@valkilmer) March 24, 2017
Granted, there is probably more to this story than Kilmer can fit into Twitter’s character limit. But at the point of his initial Blanchett tweet, he still gets the benefit of the doubt. Also, “The Doors” actor respects her as an actress and as a person, as he describes in tweets that followed:
She's just as amazing in person. Some super stars aren't-Some superstars don't do a thing to ya in person-Cate is so real it's almost unreal
— Val Kilmer (@valkilmer) March 25, 2017
You see, the star of 1995’s “Heat” has firsthand experience of the actress. He worked with her on 2003’s “The Missing” and on Terrence Malik’s latest, “Song to Song.” He described working with her in a scene and how he was in awe by the way she picked up a shovel. “I was so dazzled by HOW she picked it up I forgot my line,” he wrote:
Once I did a cameo just to hang w/ #cateblanchett who pickd up a shovel in our sc. I was so dazzled by HOW she picked it up I forgot my line
— Val Kilmer (@valkilmer) March 25, 2017
Actors choosing projects based on writers, directors or other actors is common in Hollywood, especially if you have the privilege to choose your roles. We like Blanchett, too. She’s a chameleon on the screen and always holds herself with dignity. We get it, Val.
However, things got weird when Kilmer described dreams he had that starred the actress:
https://twitter.com/valkilmer/status/845410689741213696
… and then he decided to highlight her looks instead of talking about her award-winning performances or the sheer talent of the Oscar-winning actress:
https://twitter.com/valkilmer/status/845740186831085569
Many called out Kilmer on Twitter and in the media, saying his tweets were “creepy”:
https://twitter.com/Ruth_Less_Lady/status/845741314847244288
In response, Kilmer went on another Twitter rant, defending his love of Blanchett.
“I’ve never done said or written a single idea that wasn’t of the highest respect and admiration for #cateblanchett or any other great talent,” he tweeted. He continued:
https://twitter.com/valkilmer/status/846167468536053760
https://twitter.com/valkilmer/status/846167710115381252
https://twitter.com/valkilmer/status/846168468491710464
Is it wrong to express respect for a fellow actor? Probably not. Is it wrong to publicly talk about how she’s in your dreams and imply that her husband is probably in the way? Yeah, probably.
How about when you claim somebody’s your friend and then objectify their looks instead of their talent? Definitely teeters on inappropriate — though, in his defense, Kilmer led his Blanchett-focused Twitter storm with her talent.
In case you want to further demonize him, Kilmer also has a fixation on Jessica Chastain, too… sort of:
And happy birthday to #JessicaChastain whom I also love love love love love. And a #Julliard alum as well.
— Val Kilmer (@valkilmer) March 26, 2017