Home and Away star Emily Weir has opened up about what it was like seeing her former co-star Orpheus Pledger sent to prison.
The 35-year-old Australian actress, who has played Mackenzie Booth on the Channel Seven series since 2019, has revealed how Pledger’s six-month prison sentence impacted the show’s set.
She said Pledger’s September conviction came as a huge shock to the cast, most of whom had lost touch with the actor after he left the series in 2019.
‘For Orpheus, before the criminal stuff that got [publicly] released, there was some social media stuff that he was posting with nudity, and it was kind of weird, it was very off,’ Emily told the A Bit Rogue podcast.
In 2021, Pledger stunned followers by posting a graphic clip of himself stepping out of the shower, exposing his private parts.
‘I remember there were people around who were still in touch with him at the time, so there were whisperings,’ Emily added.
Home and Away star Emily Weir has opened up about what it was like seeing her former co-star Orpheus Pledger sent to prison
‘But he left the show by that point, and once you leave, you are no longer part of the Home and Away brand.’Â
Emily explained that with so many actors passing through Home and Away, the cast encountered all sorts of personalities — sometimes leading to challenging experiences.Â
‘There are so many people who go through it; it is a rite of passage. So, like all companies, there are things that happen, and it is very sad. This is what happens with addiction,’ she said.Â
‘It is terrible for all involved, and the truth is, if you are an addict and don’t want to change, literally no one can help you.’
In September, reports emerged that Pledger was heading to jail after breaching multiple court orders.Â
The 32-year-old was handed a non-parole term of six months, minus 127 days already served, after ‘frittering away’ his chance to turn his life around.Â
Initially, the troubled actor received a seven-month jail sentence in Victoria County Court in August 2024 for attacking a woman twice in March.
However, this was later reduced to a two-year community correction order.Â
The 35-year-old Australian actress, who has played Mackenzie Booth on the Channel Seven series since 2019, has revealed how Pledger’s six-month prison sentence impacted the show’s set. Pictured: Pledger on Home and Away
She said that Pledger’s conviction in September came as a huge shock to the cast, many of whom were no longer in touch with the former actor, who left the series in 2019. Pictured: Emily on the show
The Herald Sun reported he was back before the same court after violating the conditions of his parole order.
Breaches included 19 unexplained absences and drug use involving methamphetamine and cannabis.Â
According to court papers, Pledger was arrested on June 23 because he had returned to his victim’s home.
After the woman called 000 to alert authorities, Pledger was taken to the hospital.
Judge Michael Tinney said that Pledger had completed 30 of his required 150 hours of community service.
Among Pledger’s reasons for failing to comply with the conditions of his order, the court heard, were ‘illness’ and issues with public transport’.Â
The court also heard that Pledger was ‘ducking and weaving’ around obligatory drug tests.
During the period of his court order, Pledger, who is on antipsychotic medication, reduced his dosage without alerting his doctor.
According to the report, the one-time soap star’s lawyer told the court that Pledger did not understand the serious nature of his court order.
The judge admonished Pledger, telling the court he had ‘frittered away his opportunity on the order’.Â
Pledger was arrested in March 2024 after attacking a woman on two occasions.
One of the incidents was captured in part by a motion-activated camera, with Pledger dragging the woman by the hair to the ground and stomping on her head.
He was released on bail in late April to undergo a medical assessment over concerns for his mental health, but he fled, prompting a manhunt
Pledger pleaded guilty to charges of recklessly causing injury and unlawful assault, with his lawyer explaining that his drug use had escalated in recent years.
He began acting at age nine in commercials and on the children’s series Silversun before landing a stint on Neighbours in 2011.
The performer later played the role of Mason Morgan on Home and Away from 2016 to 2019.
If you, or someone you know would like to talk to someone confidentially about addiction, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit Reach Out. In an emergency, call 000.
