Kate Beckinsale explains why she sent her mum pornographic photos featuring her face

Celebrities are often targeted with doctored pornographic photos on the internet. Kate Beckinsale is one such A-list Hollywood actress who has suffered the same fate.

The Underworld: Evolution star revealed what she did when she found pornographic photos with her face superimposed onto the explicit images on the recent Jimmy Kimmel Live.

"I know Reddit is the one where sometimes you can find pictures of porn stars with your own face on it," the 44-year-old actress told Kimmel, the host of the popular chat show in the US.

She said that she was mortified when she received photos featuring her superimposed face, having sex with more than one person. She said she sent them to her mother without any explanation to see how the latter reacts to the images.

"I've been sent a few very distressing photos of myself... Not just sort of in a wicker chair, naked – but involved. You know what I mean? With more than one person. So, when I got sent it, I just immediately sent it to my mother with no explanation to see what would happen."

She said her mother initially thought they were real photos of her daughter.

"I get a text back going, 'Oh, darling! Oh, dear! Oh, no!'" she said.

During the talk show, Beckinsale, who has been dating 21-year-old Matt Rife following her split from husband Len Wiseman last year, told Kimmel that her 18-year-old daughter – who she shares with ex Michael Sheen - has a crush on him.

"You know how they have crushes on Justin Bieber and things like that? She's got one on you," she said. "She's very attractive... She's out of your league! I just want you to know that."