Craig McLachlan

The announcement that McLachlan had been cast in the Australian tour of Cluedo, intended to mark his return to theatre, provoked strong reactions from parts of the public and performing arts industry. Less than a week later, he withdrew from the production, and the producer apologised for the distress caused by the casting.

Legal status — source text

No legal proceedings

Attribution

Directly implicated

McLachlan brought a multimillion-dollar defamation action against the media outlets and Christie Whelan Browne concerning the 2018 reporting. After ten days of hearings in 2022, he abandoned the proceedings on the day the defence was due to begin presenting evidence and was ordered to pay the defendants' costs.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist is the complainant

Former British presenter Jeanne Downs claimed in 2021 that McLachlan had touched her intimately on air during a children's programme in 1990.

Attribution

Directly implicated

Colleagues from the Australian production of The Rocky Horror Show accused McLachlan of non-consensual sexual conduct and harassment. He withdrew from the tour and was subsequently prosecuted. In December 2020, he was found not guilty on all 13 counts remaining at trial.

Attribution

Directly implicated

Course of the proceedings

1. Formally charged — Formal charge before the current outcome

Actors and crew members on Doctor Blake Mysteries accused McLachlan of sexual jokes, inappropriate touching, 'dry humping', unwanted kissing or groping. December Media suspended production and commissioned an internal inquiry, which subsequently cleared him of harassment allegations while describing an on-set culture as 'bawdy and crude'. Other women were later proposed as contextual witnesses in his defamation case.

State of the evidence

Allegations

Attribution

Directly implicated