Craig McLachlan breaks into song to prove he couldn’t have kissed co-star
Actor Craig McLachlan has broken into song while giving evidence in court about the moments leading up to his co-star’s allegations.
Police & Courts
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Aussie actor Craig McLachlan has broken out in song in court as he went step-by-step through a scene to debunk his female co-stars allegations he stuck his tongue in her mouth during a scripted kiss.
On his second day of giving evidence in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday, McLachlan, 55, began clicking his fingers and singing the song before puckering up his lips at the moment he claims he was directed to kiss the woman.
He said it was “impossible” given the timing of the song, describing the interaction as a ”brief one-second kiss”.
“If I am late in the next line because I fancy a snog”, he said it would throw out the whole scene.
“There’s an old saying that you can’t mess with a number, you can’t mess with a song,” he said.
He said the kiss was not unscripted as described in the prosecution opening, and that he was directed to do it as part of his role as Frank-n-Furter during the Melbourne run of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Asked what that direction was, he said: “To perform the scene as I had performed it every night.”
A series of video recordings showing parts of the live production - but not on the nights of the alleged events - were also shown in court as the defence attempted to prove McLachlan could not have done what the women allege.
The Sydney-based actor is facing charges of indecent assault and common assault by four female co-stars.
Among the allegations is that he inappropriately touched one woman’s genitalia and forcefully held another’s face during live performances and gave unwanted kisses and hugs backstage to others.
One of his accusers claims he also got undressed in front of her and exposed his penis.
The Gold Logie-winning star has denied the allegations.
He has described kissing fellow performers on the lips backstage as “de rigueur and commonplace” in show business, and that they were not of a sexual nature.
He claims the women never told him his hugs, kisses or compliments on their appearances made them uncomfortable, and in fact encouraged him.
He admitted he was “over the top” with his complimenting of co-stars, but that he did it for both men and women and that all the cast were involved.
“Even towards me, the cast was very complimentary. Certainly the girls in the show,” he said, recalling how they would say to him: “You’re so f--kable in that corset.”
“It is certainly not to be taken literally. It is to be encouraging,” he said.
He said there was “not a word of truth” in one of his accusers claims that he exposed his genital region to her in his dressing room.
In her statement to police, the court heard the complainant never mentioned the exposure when alleging he undressed in front of her.
But in describing the incident she claimed he took his socks off, before his shorts and shirt — all items McLachlan said were not part of his costume.
He instead detailed how he wore a red corset, suspender belt, a garter on his left thigh, fishnet stockings and an elasticised string of pearls around his neck.
The hearing, before magistrate Belinda Wallington, continues.
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