Julian McMahon's Charmed co-star Alyssa Milano pleads with fans of hit TV series to stop using AI to pay tribute to the late actor
Alyssa Milano, 52, took to Instagram Stories on Tuesday to call for an end to the fabricated content of McMahon, which quickly circulated online after his death at the age of 56 last Thursday following a cancer battle.
"Charmed fans/accounts! I love and appreciate you so much, but please stop using AI to fabricate emotion from Julian McMahon's death," the actress wrote.
"It is totally unnecessary when there are real moments you can use from his nearly 35 years in the public eye.
"And please be considerate to Julian's grieving family and friends during this difficult time."
It's understood that fans of Charmed, in which McMahon kick-started his career starring as Cole Turner from 2000 to 2003, mostly created and shared unwelcome AI-generated videos of the Australian-American star.
Alyssa paid an emotional tribute to her co-star on Sunday through a lengthy Instagram caption accompanied by photos of their time on set.
"We spent years together on Charmed—years of scenes, stories, and so many in-between moments," she wrote.
"He made me feel safe as an actor. Seen as a woman.
"He challenged me, teased me, supported me. We were so different, and yet somehow we always understood each other."
The only son of the former Prime Minister Sir William McMahon, Julian is survived by his wife of 11 years, author and meditation teacher Kelly McMahon (née Paniagua), and his 25-year-old daughter Madison (McMahon, whom he shared with ex-wife, actress Brooke Burns.
Kelly was the first to confirm her husband died in Clearwater, Florida, through a statement to Deadline.
'With an open heart, I wish to share with the world that my beloved husband, Julian McMahon, died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer,' she said last Friday.
'Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans. His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible."
After Charmed, McMahon gained wider recognition from 2003 to 2010 as plastic surgeon Dr Christian Troy in the medical drama Nip/Tuck.
On the big screen, McMahon is best known for playing Marvel villain Dr. Doom in Fantastic Four (2005) and its 2007 sequel Rise of the Silver Surfer.
His other film credits include Premonition, RED, Paranoia, You're Not You, Swinging Safari, and, most recently, Australian film The Surfer opposite Nicolas Cage.
Over three decades as a leading man and through his investments in real estate, the US-based star accumulated a net worth of $16 million USD ($24 million AUD) at the time of his death, according to reports.
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