A heartbroken Alyssa Milano has asked fans to stop using AI to “fabricate emotion” following the death of her Charmed co-star Julian McMahon.
Milano took to Instagram to ask fans and accounts devoted to the cult show to stop using artificial intelligence (AI), presumably to make videos of the late actor, who died following a secret battle with cancer last week. He was 56.
“Charmed fans/accounts! I love and appreciate you so much but please stop using AI to fabricate emotion from Julian McMahon’s death,” she wrote.
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“It is totally unnecessary when there are real moments you can use from his nearly 35 years in the public eye.”
The growth of AI has been rampant in recent months, with the technology able to create synchronised animated clips of a person talking or singing with a single image of their face and an audio track.
Milano concluded: “Please be considerate to Julian’s grieving family and friends during this difficult time.”
McMahon’s wife, Kelly, announced his death, which came after a private battle with the disease, on July 4 via a statement shared with entertainment news outlet 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,” the statement read.
“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.
“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.”
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Milano starred opposite McMahon in the cult TV show Charmed, in which she played one of three sisters who discovered they were witches alongside Holly Marie Coombs and Shannon Doherty, who herself died from breast cancer less than a year ago.
McMahon joined the show, which first aired in 1998, in season three, and remained with the show for three years, playing Cole Turner and his demonic alter ego Belthazor.
Milano was among those to pay tribute to McMahon following his death, taking to Instagram to share a series of photos of the pair and reveal she was ‘heartbroken’ by his loss.
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McMahon married Kelly Paniagua, a former model and children’s book author in 2014 after 11 years of dating.
He had previously been married to former Baywatch star Brooke Burns, from 1999 to 2001. They share daughter, Madison, 25.
He was also married to Australian entertainer Dannii Minogue from 1994 to 1995.
In her previous tribute to McMahon, Milano described her former co-star the days as “magic”.
“That smile. That laugh. That talent. That presence,” she wrote.
“He walked into a room and lit it up – not just with charisma, but with kindness. With mischief. With soulful understanding.
“We spent years together on Charmed – years of scenes, stories and so many in-between moments.
“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.
“Julian was more than my TV husband. He was a dear friend. The kind who checks in. The kind who remembers. The kind who shares. The kind who tells you the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable – but always with love.
“Rest, my friend. I’ll carry your laugh with me. Forever Cole. Forever Julian.”
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