The mystery surrounding Julian McMahon’s death in the United States grows murkier by the day.
The n actor died aged 56 in Clearwater, Florida, on July 2 of an undisclosed cancer.
Last week, the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s office reported the Nip/Tuck star died from lung metastasis as a result of head and neck metastatic cancer.
His death was ruled natural, and the office confirmed his remains have since been cremated.
Questions remain over just how and why Julian – the son of former n prime minister Billy McMahon – ended up in Clearwater.
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The mystery surrounding Julian McMahon’s death in the US has raised many questions. Pictured Julian and wife Kelly Paniagua
The beachside city, on Florida’s west coast, is infamous for being the Mecca of the Church of Scientology.
Cremation is favoured by Scientologists, who believe the human body is of no use to followers after death. The church’s founder L. Ron Hubbard was cremated.
A cache of public documents about Julian’s life in the United States since the 1990s reviewed by Daily Mail says little about why he ultimately ended up in Clearwater.
Records show he gained his social security identification in New York, but by 1997 he began living in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles.
His home, directly beneath the Hollywood Sign, was sold in 2015 for AUD$3.3 million.
He also owned a home in Malibu, which he shared with third wife, model Kelly Paniagua, and sold in 2017 for AUD $5.41 million.
Our investigation exclusively revealed the couple also owned a stunning ranch in Ventura County, California, pictured here in never-before-seen photos.
Julian passed away in Clearwater which is a city on Florida’s west coast infamous for being the Mecca of the Church of Scientology. Pictured the Church of Scientology’s Flag Building
The hacienda-style home in the farming community of Somis featured 1.8 hectares of Hass avocado trees and 4.4 acres of lemons.
The 2700-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom residence was listed for sale by the couple in 2016 before being removed from the market in 2017.
It was relisted on July 19, 2023 – curiously, the suggested it could be purchased fully furnished – and sold October 5, 2023.
Since 2023, the McMahons had no further listed residences, save for a business address linked to an accountant specialising in celebrity finances in Encino, California. The couple then seemingly headed to Florida.
Julian’s daughter Madison – from his previous marriage to American actress Brooke Burns – is listed at an address in Charleston, South Carolina, where it is thought she attended university.
However, Madison, 25, teaches yoga classes in Miami.
Offering a further clue, of the 20 accounts Julian followed on Instagram, one was Mari’s Kitchen Italian Market – a restaurant in Hollywood, Florida, just north of Miami.
An investigation by Daily Mail revealed Julian’s well-documented life in the United States, beginning in the early 1990s – but in the past two years, his trail that ultimately ended in Clearwater runs eerily cold
A spokesperson for the restaurant revealed: ‘Yes, he is very missed here. One of our good friends’.
They would not confirm if Julian had lived in the area.
When Mrs McMahon, 47, revealed her husband had died in Clearwater after ‘a valiant effort to overcome cancer’, it immediately prompted speculation online as to whether he was a Scientologist.
‘I live in Clearwater… close to a house [Scientologist] John Travolta owns, because we’re about a mile from the Scientology center in downtown Clearwater,’ one local wrote on Instagram.
‘I was wondering if Julian McMahon was a Scientologist since [Kelly’s statement] said he died in Clearwater, because why else would he live the last few months of his life there? The only celebrities that do are usually Scientologists. Surprised, that’s for certain!’
Another person posted on Twitter, ‘Why was Julian McMahon in Clearwater when he died? Like, that’s Scientology city.’
Clearwater, which has a population of 116,000, is notorious for being overrun by the Church of Scientology.
The religion’s global headquarters, Flag, is in the heart of the town, and its followers own most of the commercial real estate.
Julian and his wife owned a stunning ranch in Ventura County, California, pictured here in never-before-seen photos before disappearing off the map
Julian’s place of death also sparked a thread on Reddit, where one person dismissed speculation by saying, ‘He was an n who loved the beach. I don’t see him being involved with Scientology.’
There is no mention of Julian, former model Kelly, his daughter Madison or ex-wife Brooke Burns on any Scientology databases, nor is Daily Mail suggesting he was a Scientologist.
Attempts were made to reach a representative for Julian.
So notorious is the town’s connection to the religion that former celebrity follower Leah Remini dedicated an entire episode of her docuseries Scientology and the Aftermath to how the church took it over.
A Tampa Bay Times investigation revealed the church, its members, and affiliated companies now own 185 properties in the city’s downtown enclave.
Church figurehead Tom Cruise lives in a penthouse apartment with his son Connor.
Famous follower Kirstie Alley, who died in 2022 from colon cancer, owned a waterfront mansion there – which she bought from late Scientologist Lisa Marie Presley in 2000.
Devotee John Travolta’s wife, Kelly Preston, died after a battle with breast cancer in Clearwater in 2020.
Scientologist devotee John Travolta’s wife Kelly Preston (pictured) died after a battle with breast cancer in Clearwater in 2020
Julian’s widow Kelly, a California born and raised former model, now describes herself as a ‘spiritual concierge’, operating a business called Super Spiritual Girl.
According to her website, she is a shamanic healer, reiki master, certified meditation instructor and intuitive reader. She has hosted spiritual workshops in Miami.
In announcing Julian’s shock passing, Kelly said in a statement to Deadline: ‘With an open heart, I wish to share with the world that my beloved husband, Julian McMahon, died peacefully…’
‘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.’
The talented actor, who began his career on Home and Away, was best known for his role as Dr Christian Troy on the FX series Nip/Tuck.
He then won the hearts of many as he portrayed Cole Turner in Charmed (seasons 3 through 5 from 2000 to 2003), before returning as a guest for season 7 in 2005.
Julian later starred as Jess LaCroix on the CBS series FBI: Most Wanted, beginning in 2020 but made a surprise exit in March 2022 after three seasons.
On the big screen, he starred as iconic supervillain Dr. Doom in two Marvel movies: Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer (2007).
In announcing Julian’s shock passing, Kelly said in a statement to Deadline: ‘With an open heart, I wish to share with the world that my beloved husband Julian McMahon died peacefully’
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He also appeared alongside Sandra Bullock in 2007 supernatural psychological thriller Premonition.
Most recently, he teamed up with Nicolas Cage for the n-made film The Surfer.
In a statement to Deadline, Nicolas said, ‘I spent six weeks working with Julian, and he was the most talented of actors.
‘Our scenes together on The Surfer were amongst my favorites I have ever participated in, and Julian is one of my favorite people. He was a kind and intelligent man. My love to his family.’
Julian and Kelly had been together for 11 years before marrying in a romantic ceremony in Lake Tahoe, on the border of California and Nevada, in 2014.
He was previously married to model and Baywatch actress Brooke Burns – mother to Madison – from 1999 to 2001.
Brooke shared a touching old image of Julian and Madison to Instagram, accompanied with the words, ‘Rest in peace’ and a heart emoji.
Julian’s first marriage was to n actress and pop star Dannii Minogue, after meeting on the Home and Away set in 1991.
Their union was doomed, seemingly in part due to Julian’s mother – the late Lady Sonia McMahon, a Sydney socialite – not approving of Dannii.
‘His family did not like me,’ Dannii said. ‘There’s a certain social pecking order and I was definitely not in that scene. She [Sonia] only spoke to me a couple of times.’
Dannii alleged her former mother-in-law ’caused issues’ at the couple’s 1994 wedding.
‘On the actual day of the wedding there was drama,’ she said. ‘She said she wasn’t going to show up, so that’s quite stressful. Julian and I were going ahead with the marriage regardless.
‘So she did end up coming and was causing a scene. It wasn’t the greatest… it was hard. I tried to stay away from it. I just wanted to enjoy the day.’
The marriage ended 18 months later.