Julian McMahon’s Ex-Wife Brooke Burns Reacts to His Death
Brooke Burns is remembering her ex-husband Julian McMahon.
After the news broke that the Charmed star died in his Florida home on July 2 following a private battle with cancer, the Shallow Hal actress—who was married to Julian from 1999 to 2001—expressed her grief on social media.
“Rest in peace,” Brooke wrote over an old photo of her ex-husband and their 25-year-old daughter Madison shared to Instagram July 4, adding nothing but a broken heart emoji to the caption.
Brooke’s tribute came just hours after the Nip/Tuck actor’s wife Kelly McMahon—who he wed in 2014—confirmed his passing at age 56 in a heartbreaking statement.
“With an open heart,” Kelly said in a statement to NBC News July 4, “I wish to share with the world that my beloved husband, Julian McMahon, died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer.”
“He loved his family,” she continued. “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.”
Indeed, it didn’t take long for Julian’s former costars and friends to gush about what a great and joyful man the FBI: Most Wanted actor truly was.
“I’m heartbroken,” Alyssa Milano—who portrayed his onscreen wife in Charmed—wrote on Instagram July 4 alongside several photos of the two. “Julian McMahon was magic. That smile. That laugh. That talent. That presence. He walked into a room and lit it up—not just with charisma, but with kindness. With mischief. With soulful understanding.”
And Holly Marie Combs, who also starred in the fantasy drama alongside the Australian actor, couldn’t help but think about his reunion with their late costar Shannen Doherty, who died from cancer last year.
“One of a kind is an understatement,” the Pretty Little Liars actress wrote alongside a slideshow of photos from their time on Charmed posted to Instagram Reels. “Your unyielding zest for life and crazy making sense of humor will be sorely missed. The joy and laughter you were the direct cause of will always be remembered. I hope you find our lady friend and dance in those rose petals.”
For his part, Ioan Gruffudd—who appeared alongside the late actor in 2005’s Fantastic Four as well as its 2007 sequel—joined in reminiscing on the sweet time he got to spend with his costar on set.
“Even though we played each other’s nemeses, there was always so much lightness and laughter working together,” the actor wrote on Instagram July 4. “Every encounter with him was a joy. It was an honor to be Dr. Richards to his Dr. Doom.”
For more on other stars’ cancer journeys keep reading.
The All My Children alum announced in January 2025 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, his third cancer diagnosis throughout his life.
Despite the devastating news, he announced (for the third time) in February 2025 he was cancer-free following successful surgery and treatments.
“Remember, you’re not defined by any of your challenges," he wrote in his February 2025 Instagram update. "You’re grander than it all. I’m not my fear, my anxiousness or my scars but I embrace it all because the only way to transform it is to own it.”
The former Golden Bachelor star shared in Dec. 2024 that he had been diagnosed with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a bone cancer.
"Unfortunately, there's no cure for it,” Gerry noted to People at the time. “So that weighs heavily in every decision I make. It was like 10 tons of concrete were just dropped on me. And I was a bit in denial for a while, I didn't want to admit to it.”
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