#MeToo: Craig McLachlan Denies Harassment Allegations
Craig McLachlan has denied allegations of harassment made against him by three women.
The accusations against the 52-year-old Australian actor concern his time performing in a 2014 production of the Rocky Horror Show.
Three cast members accused the former Neighbors actor of inappropriate touching and harassment.
Craig McLachlan stepped down from the Rocky Horror Show‘s current Australian run on January 8, but rejected the allegations as “entirely false”.
The actor wrote in response to allegations published by the Australian Broadcasting Corp: “Frankly, they seem to be simple inventions, perhaps made for financial reasons, perhaps to gain notoriety.”
The three actresses, Christie Whelan Browne, Erika Heynatz and Angela Scundi, said they had come forward to protect other cast members. Craig McLachlan had been reprising his role as Dr. Frank N. Furter in Adelaide.
The allegations, also published by Fairfax Media on January 8, include Craig McLachlan’s inappropriate behavior against Whelan Browne during a performance.
“I think people who know him know that he’s very generous, warm, funny… I saw a very different side come out in him which was terrifying,” Whelan Browne told the ABC.
Image source IMDb
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Erika Heynatz, who played Magenta, said she was forcibly kissed by the actor, while Angela Scundi, a chorus member, said she was the subject of unwanted advances.
Two actresses raised concerns with the show’s senior producers but no action was taken, the reports said.
In a statement on January 8, the musical’s production company said it was “shocked” to learn of the accusations.
Gordon Frost Organization said in a statement: “In response, we have spoken to Craig and have mutually agreed that it is not appropriate for him to continue in the current production of the show.”
It said it would co-operate with authorities and conduct and internal investigation.
Craig McLachlan is a veteran of the Australian entertainment industry, having won Australia’s top TV award – the Gold Logie – and starred in programs including Home and Away and the Doctor Blake Mysteries.