Julian McMahon, who was in Charmed and Nip/Tuck, died aged 56 last week, following a private battle with cancer – and now the father’s family have posted online about him

Julian McMahon’s cause of death has been revealed after the actor’s sudden death at age 54. The actor’s grieving family revealed he had died following a “private battle” with cancer.

The much-loved actor is said to have died from lung metastasis as a result of head and neck metastatic cancer, according to a report from the Pinellas County Medical Examiner which has been obtained by PEOPLE. His death was ruled as natural.

The actor, who was in Home and Away, Charmed and Nip/Tuck, died last week following a private battle with cancer. The star leaves behind wife Kelly Paniagua and daughter Madison McMahon, who he shares with ex-partner Brooke Burns, as well as his siblings, Melinda and Debbie.

Earlier this week, a post was shared on Julian’s Instagram page, thanking the actor’s fans for their love in the past few days. The caption read: “Julian loved @vanmorrisonofficial… For all of those who loved Julian, thank you.” The poignant post, liked by more than 70,000 people, also featured a black and white photograph of the actor smiling and posing for the camera.

Julian died after a short battle with cancer ( 
Image:
CBS via Getty Images)

Speaking last Friday, Julian’s widow Kelly told how he had been fighting cancer. His last public appearance was back in March when he and Nicolas Cage promoted their new psychological thriller The Surfer. It was Julian’s final film role filmed and released before the father of one’s death.

In her statement on Julian’s death, his widow Kelly, whom he married in 2014, wrote: “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.

“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.”

Julian with his daughter Madison Elizabeth ( 
Image:
@madison.em/Instagram)
“We ask for support during this time to allow our family to grieve in privacy. And we wish for all of those to whom Julian brought joy, to continue to find joy in life. We are grateful for the memories,” Kelly added in her statement.

Julian died in Clearwater, Florida, and, having lived in the US since the 1990s, had become a citizen of the country. However, he said his soul was always in Australia – where he was born in 1968 – and expressed his joy for “Australianisms”.

Speaking in an interview in 2021, the former Nip/Tuck actor said: “I feel like I’m Australian on the inside and American on the outside or something. I would never want to leave it behind either.

Julian previously appeared on Home and Away ( 
Image:
Getty Images for The Surfer)“I love Australians, Australianisms, I love my part of being Australian. I love where I grew up and how I grew up and, you know, I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Julian played Dr Christian Troy in Nip/Tuck between 2003 and 2010, a period spanning 100 episodes across six seasons. The performer was in Charmed for five years, ending in 2005.