The highly acclaimed Australian actor Craig McLachlan has fiercely denied claims against him of sexual harassment, indecent assault, exhibitionism and the bullying of his female co-stars.
McLachlan, who is best known for his performances in Neighbours, Home & Away and The Doctor Blake Mysteries, has reportedly denied the claims against him in an email sent to Fairfax Media.
In the email McLachlan states that the accusations against him are “baseless” and possibly made up to get money or attain notoriety. The allegations were “ALL made up,” according to the email.
The 52-year-old has currently been touring with The Rocky Horror Show in Adelaide where he performed on Sunday evening. There is no performance yet scheduled for Monday.
While members of the cast believe the show will continue unhindered on Tuesday, a spokesperson from the Adelaide Festival Centre stated that they were waiting for advice from the production who would themselves issue a statement regarding the allegations.
It was reported that some of McLachlan’s female co-stars had claimed abuse by him on the 2014 tour of the Rocky Horror Show. The women have alleged they were harassed, abused or assaulted by McLachlan.
Actresses Angela Scundi, Christie Whelan Browne and Erika Heynatz made specific allegations about the star’s behaviour, stating that he had routinely crossed boundaries both during performances and off the stage. Some of the women have made formal complaints to the police.
In McLachlan’s email to the media he explained the sexually suggestive nature of the Rocky Horror Show was to blame for people potentially misinterpreting his actions as sexual misconduct. McLachlan emphasised that he had “NEVER” done anything akin to the allegations against him.
McLachlan’s email went on to remind readers that he has been in a “stable relationship” with his long term partner and that all the allegations were “simple inventions”.
The producer of the Rocky Horror Show, the Gordon Frost Organisation has produced many other hit musicals covering Annie, Wicked, The Book of Mormon and The Sound of Music to name a few.
The Gordon Frost Organisation used lawyers to respond to the allegations by stating that the accusers lacked evidence and had potentially made defamatory statements that were actionable.
Victorian police issued a statement stating that detectives from Melbourne Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation team were “investigating allegations” of the offences involving McLachlan and that it would be “inappropriate” to add any further commentary.
McLachlan joins the ranks of several men in the entertainment industry who have been accused of sexual misconduct in recent months, most notably Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein who is awaiting potential charges from American authorities.