Craig McLachlan’s partner Vanessa Scammell has come out swinging against what she calls a ‘witch hunt’ that saw the soap opera star ‘cancelled’.
McLachlan was effectively blacklisted by the industry following allegations of sexual assault and harassment during productions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
He faced 13 charges of assault and indecent assault but was acquitted on all counts following a four-week trial in December 2020.
Scammell, an acclaimed Australian conductor, discussed the fallout from the accusations in the wake of the Me Too movement in a new podcast called Not Guilty.
‘It was a time of confusion, uncertainty and often misdirected fury,’ she said in the new episode.
‘The witch hunt was in full swing as the desire to assign blame, to relieve anxiety and point the finger exploded.’
Craig McLachlan’s partner Vanessa Scammell has come out swinging against what she calls a ‘witch hunt’ that saw the soap opera star ‘cancelled’. Pictured together
Scammell said that the Australian public had been looking for a local scapegoat at the height of the Me Too movement.
She says Craig became, ‘a poster boy for Australia, a poster boy for anger and outrage, for disappointment and hatred, for shock value and blame, and if a poster boy couldn’t legitimately be found, one would be created.’
She asked, ‘So who would it be? Who would be the ultimate pin-up boy?’ before adding that it became, ‘terrifyingly evident who that person was going to be.’
The composer says that ‘naming and shaming had become the norm’ in the ‘brutal and unquestioning landscape of this movement.’
Scammell told news.com.au that she and Craig are working to move forward – but struggling as the fallout from the charges continues.
McLachlan withdrew from the 2026 tour of Cluedo, a play based on the popular board game, following industry backlash in September, and Scammell is angered by the ongoing public campaign against him.
‘When an online campaign was orchestrated against Craig, forcing him to withdraw, it begged the question ‘how long does a man who has been found not guilty have to wait?’ she asked.
The actor and singer, who was set to make his big theatrical comeback in the production, was forced to pull out in September after being bullied on social media.
McLachlan was effectively blacklisted by the industry following allegations of sexual assault and harassment during productions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He faced 13 charges of assault and indecent assault but was acquitted on all counts following a four-week trial in December 2020
Rhys Muldoon stepped into his role as Colonel Mustard in the show, which is based on the 1985 film Clue.
In a video statement shared to his Instagram, McLachlan said he was targeted in a social media campaign which ultimately ‘impacted those involved in the production’.
He revealed that he and two other actors were targets of the bullying, along with others close to him.
‘The bullying even extends to my partner, Vanessa, and our friends and family,’ he said.
‘Only days before the announcement, I made it very clear that I didn’t want my inclusion in the cast to impact negatively on any of the other actors.
‘Those two actors mentioned alongside me have been and continue to be harassed and bullied by their peers… I cannot and will not let my involvement in a show result in good people being targeted by trolls and bullies. I have therefore made the decision to withdraw from the production.’
Cluedo would have marked McLachlan’s return to the stage since being effectively blacklisted by the industry eight years ago following allegations of sexual assault and harassment during productions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
He was forced to quit his leading role as Frank-N-Furter in 2018 after three female co-stars accused him of harassment while performing alongside him four years earlier.
She says Craig became, ‘a poster boy for Australia, a poster boy for anger and outrage, for disappointment and hatred, for shock value and blame, and if a poster boy couldn’t legitimately be found, one would be created’
He was forced to quit his leading role as Frank-N-Furter in 2018 after three female co-stars accused him of harassment while performing alongside him four years earlier
McLachlan, who has always vehemently denied the allegations, said he had suffered crippling anxiety as a result of the ordeal and had been apprehensive about a return to the limelight.
He recently said he managed to overcome his anxiety with the help of ‘the best psychiatrist in Australia’ – and by playing guitar alongside country crooner Andy Penkow in a series of pub rock gigs around the country.
McLachlan said his therapy – both on his psychiatrist’s couch and on stage with Penkow – helped him finally overcome much of the rage that has consumed him since the allegations against him were first aired.
The one-time Neighbours star had been a fixture of the Australian entertainment industry for more than three decades before his career collapsed over the scandal.
McLachlan has kept a low profile in recent years, but appeared on the reality series, SAS Australia, in 2023.
