Actor Craig McLachlan tells court ‘uninvited’ alleged victim would sit on his lap in underwear

Actor Craig McLachlan says alleged sex assault victim came to dressing room in bra and knickers to ‘share secrets’.

Australian actor Craig McLachlan outside court in December, 2019. Picture: Stefan Postles

Actor Craig McLachlan has attempted to discredit the women who allege he sexually assaulted them, claiming one complimented his “perky bubble butt”, another would sit on his lap in her underwear and a third asked him whether the audience could see her vagina in her costume.

McLachlan is charged with seven charges of indecent assault and six charges of assault against four female actors during the Melbourne run of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 2014.

Giving evidence remotely to the Melbourne Magistrates Court, McLachlan said he had known one of the women for more than a decade and they had a “terrific friendship”.

One of the allegations made by the complainant is that McLachlan assaulted her onstage during a show.

“It would have been impossible to do what she said,” McLachlan told the court from his barrister’s chambers in Sydney.

‘It was always friendly fun’

McLachlan described the woman as an extrovert who would routinely give people wedgies, goose them and try to pull their pants down backstage.

“It was always friendly fun, it was a terrific friendship,” he said.

He described the actor as “without doubt the most vulgar woman I know” and told the court she had asked him whether the audience would be able to see her vagina through her costume.

Giving examples of her behaviour with him, McLachlan said the woman once asked him to pose with her in costume against a wall “f. k me from behind and pull my hair”.

The pair remained in contact following the show, working together again and McLachlan said she congratulated him on winning a Helpmann award for his performance as Frank-N-Furter in the show.

“The friendship was closer, closer than it had ever been,” McLachlan.

He said the woman had never held back about airing a grievance and instead would “let fly”, including criticising two of her fellow complainants to him during the tour, referring to one as a “talentless midget” and another as “f. king ugly”.

He told the court he was “devastated and deeply distressed” when he learned of the woman’s accusations and they had been in contact just weeks before media reports of the claims when the woman sent him a photo of herself sitting on a toilet with her knickers down.

‘Always relaxed and playful’

McLachlan said another of the complainants had also kept in touch with him following the show’s run and never raised any grievance.

“I was stunned and flabbergasted,” McLachlan said of learning about the allegations via the media.
“I found it quite paradoxical because she was working with me [later]. She continued to come to my dressing room.”

He said the actor would often enter his dressing room and sometimes straddle his thigh, disclosing secrets and treating him as a “confidant”.

“She was always relaxed and playful,” McLachlan said.

He said the woman was verbally and physically affectionate with him, hugging him and flicking his bottom, and he would sometimes kiss her in congratulations after a performance.

Craig McLachlan in his dressing room in 2017 ahead of the Rocky Horror stage show at the Adelaide Festival Centre. Picture: Calum Robertson

McLachlan admitted kissing a third woman in her dressing room but said he went there to “check on and support a work mate who was distressed”.

He said it was not unusual behaviour for performers to kiss whether cast in a serious classical performance, musical comedies or opera.

“It is de rigueur. Common place, common practice. It‘s what you do. It’s what we have always done,” he said.

McLachlan said he kissed the woman “as a greeting” and then said words to the effect of ”I can‘t stop thinking about you” and told her she was wonderful.

He said he then said something along the lines of he might be falling in love with her before leaving.

McLachlan told the court the woman had previously complimented him on his “arse” by referring it as a ”perky bubble butt” and telling him that squats were working for him.

He also said the woman had cupped his pectoral muscles and said they were bigger than her breasts.

The hearing continues.