Artist sues Val Kilmer for copying tumbleweed sculptures

A Texas artist is suing Val Kilmer, saying the actor co-opted his work.

Bale Creek Allen says in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that he had been creating golden-laden tumbleweed sculptures for years and selling them in galleries in Austin, Texas, and Santa Fe when he noticed Kilmer had begun selling “identical” pieces.

Before the discovery, Allen says Kilmer had approached him about the sculptures, which the “Batman Forever” and “Tombstone” star ultimately said he could not afford. When the artist asked Kilmer to stop selling the pieces, the actor did not respond.

Kilmer, who used to own a ranch outside of Santa Fe, began selling his own artwork a couple years ago. He could not immediately be reached late Thursday for comment.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in New Mexico seeks unspecified damages.