Julian McMahon has died at the age of 56

In a statement given to Deadline, she said: "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.

But Kelly insisted that she wants the fans of the FBI: Most Wanted star - who was briefly married to pop singer Dannii Minogue in the early 1990s and then went on to have 25-year-old Madison with Baywatch actress Brooke Burns - to continue to find "joy" in the work that her husband has left behind.

She said: "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."

Julian made his film debut in the 1992 comedy Wet and Wild Summer! - which was also known as Exchange Lifeguards outside of the US - and went on to star in the likes of Magenta and Chasing Sleep as his career progressed.

In later years, he became known to Marvel fans as Victor Von Doom / Dr. Doom in the Fantastic Four series, and then appeared opposite Guy Pearce and Kylie Minogue in the 2018 comedy Swinging Safari.

On television, he appeared in the soap operas The Power, The Passion and Home and Away in the late 1980s and early 1990s and then held the starring role of Detective John Grant on the legal drama Profiler.

Julian - who was the son of former Australian Prime Minister Sir William McMahon - also starred on Charmed in the early 2000s, and made his final on-screen appearance as Stephen Roos, the Prime Minister of Australia, in the mystery series The Residence that was released on Netflix earlier this year.