Rocky horror ride over for vindicated star Craig McLachlan

Craig McLachlan will resume a $6.5m defamation case against Nine newspapers and the ABC over ‘false allegations of sexual misconduct’.

With partner Vanessa Scammell at his side, actor Craig McLachlan prepares to address the media in Sydney on Tuesday after his acquittal on assault charges. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

Craig McLachlan will resume a $6.5m defamation case against Nine newspapers and the ABC over “false allegations of sexual misconduct”, as Australia’s commercial TV channels prepare to do battle for the actor’s first post-­acquittal interview.

The Gold Logie-winning actor, famous for his roles in Home And Away and Neighbours, was acquitted on Tuesday of seven counts of indecent assault and six counts of common law assault against four women during a 2014 production of the Rocky Horror Show.

With partner Vanessa Scammell at his side, a visibly relieved McLachlan all but confirmed on Tuesday what many had long suspected — a forthcoming tell-all interview with the highest bidder.

“We have maintained a dignified and respectful silence for the last almost three years, and put our trust in the law,” McLachlan said outside his lawyer’s office in Sydney. “As you can imagine, we have a lot to say. But for now, Christmas is upon us. Stay safe, be kind to each other and we’ll see you in the new year.”

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

Industry sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said McLachlan could net as much as $200,000 for his first television interview next year.

Meanwhile, McLachlan’s lawyer, Mark O’Brien, confirmed the actor would also be seeking aggravated damages for “false alle­gations” made by his former Rocky Horror co-star Christie Whelan Browne and published in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, and by the ABC.

The matter will be listed on Friday before judge John Sackar in the NSW Supreme Court, and Mr O’Brien said he would seek a hearing date next year.

Whelan Browne, who performed the lead role of Janet, will be named as the first defendant.

Nine newspapers and the ABC will also be named as defendants.

McLachlan launched defamation proceedings in early 2018 and the case was due to begin in 2019 when Victoria Police charged him with sex offences. However, the defamation proceedings were adjourned until the criminal case was completed.

At the time, McLachlan’s barrister, Stuart Littlemore QC, argued that the defamation case would be “a full dress rehearsal” of the criminal case on “exactly identical charges”.

After a legal battle spanning almost two years, magistrate Belinda Wallington on Tuesday found McLachlan not guilty on all 13 charges at Melbourne Magistrates Court.

While Ms Wallington found the women were “brave and honest witnesses”, she said the prosecutors had not met the required standard for her to find McLachlan guilty. She found while some of the incidents probably occurred, they were not necessarily indecent and did not meet the “high criminal standard” in law.

Michael Douglas, a litigation expert at the University of Western Australia, said McLachlan’s acquittal did not “necessarily mean” the actor would succeed in his defamation case.

“The fact there wasn’t enough evidence to justify a criminal conviction would strengthen his case, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will succeed,” he told The Australian. “While the witnesses might not have provided enough for a court to convict, they might provide more than enough for the media to succeed in their defamation defence.”

Given Tuesday’s verdict, Mr Douglas said it was possible Nine and the ABC were already considering whether to settle the defamation case.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the case settles and the parties agree to set down their weapons. It may be a commercial incentive for the media companies to just settle, even if they would otherwise stand by their reporting.”

Either way, it’s likely McLachlan will secure a substantial pot of money in the near future, with Nine and Seven locked in a fierce battle for the first TV interview.

“There are several different companies all wanting his exclusive story,” Grant Vandenberg, McLachlan’s media adviser, told The Australian on Tuesday.

While Seven and Nine will both be offering to open their chequebooks in coming weeks, sources say the public’s interest in the case could fade over summer and potentially put a dent in the amount of money the broad­casters are willing to offer.

Before handing down her ruling on Tuesday, Ms Wallington labelled McLachlan’s behaviour “egocentric” and said his “self-­entitled sense of humour” may have led him to believe the complainants were consenting to his acts. She ultimately rejected police allegations the former soap star touched a woman’s genitalia over her costume on stage, that he stuck his tongue into one woman’s mouth and that he felt up a woman’s thigh.

Ms Wallington also lashed Mr Littlemore for “inappropriate questions” and his use of “troubling and outdated” stereotypes.

Additional reporting: NCA Newswire