# The shocking moment in 1989 when Val Kilmer punched a co-star in the middle of an audition

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-shocking-moment-in-1989-when-val-kilmer-punched-a-co-star-in-the-middle-of-an-audition/
- Published: 2026-07-18T18:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-18T19:13:40+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/shocking-moment-val-kilmer-punched-co-star-audition/
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment

## Key points

- Val Kilmer allegedly struck actress Caitlin O'Heaney during a 1989 audition for Oliver Stone's The Doors whilst rehearsing a scene
- Confidential settlement of $24,500 was reached with a non-disclosure agreement preventing public discussion until O'Heaney's 2017 revelation
- Casting director disputed severity, characterising the incident as an acting exercise that was exaggerated rather than abusive

## Summary

During an audition in 1989 for Oliver Stone's film adaptation of The Doors, actor Val Kilmer allegedly became physically violent with actress Caitlin O'Heaney whilst they were rehearsing a heated argument scene. Kilmer reportedly picked up and shook O'Heaney before throwing her to the floor without warning, prompting significant emotional distress. Director Stone observed the incident whilst laughing and making a minimal comment. O'Heaney subsequently withdrew and filed a preliminary police report for battery.

The matter was resolved through confidential settlement negotiations, with O'Heaney receiving $24,500 from the production company in exchange for accepting a non-disclosure agreement that prevented her from discussing the incident publicly—restrictions she broke when revealing details in 2017. However, casting director Risa Bramon Garcia, who witnessed the events, contested O'Heaney's characterisation, arguing the incident had been misrepresented as abusive when it was actually an acting exercise that had simply become too intense.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.