He says he was ‘crucified’ in the public eye. Now Craig McLachlan addresses question about whether he will forgive his accusers

EXCLUSIVE

Craig McLachlan makes a surprise comeback in a role he describes as the “ultimate vindication”, more than five years after he was “cancelled” following a brutal public shaming.

Daily Mail Australia has revealed that the veteran actor is set to sign on to star in a feature film after receiving an unexpected request from the film’s producers.

The former Neighbours star said the revival of his acting career has helped him deal with the “toxic hatred” that has gnawed at him since he was kicked out of the industry six years ago.

However, the 58-year-old actor admitted that he will probably never be able to forgive the former co-stars who accused him of sexual harassment and assault, and that he still blames them for “ruining” his life.

“Here’s the thing: Hate is a poisonous thing. You have to get rid of the hate — and I did,” he said.

“Forgiveness is another story. That’s hard to do.”

McLachlan said he was “falling out of love” with show business after his “public crucifixion” but decided to accept the role after discussing the possibility with his long-term partner Vanessa Scammell.

“I only spoke to the producers and the director last week and agreed to do it,” he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘I didn’t expect to be approached about returning to acting… let alone signing on to do a film – it was a complete surprise.

‘But it’s a fantastic Australian production and Vanessa and I sat down and talked about it. We talked about whether this was the right thing for both of us.

“When your life is as devastated as mine, you need to take some time to rest and reimagine your life.

“I didn’t rush into anything. I had to think about what we wanted to do and what I could do – physically. And we decided that this was the right thing for us.”

While McLachlan said it’s too early to reveal all the details about his film role, the film is believed to enter pre-production in the coming months, with filming set to begin in Australia next year.

The role is McLachlan’s first acting gig since he was ousted from show business six years ago amid allegations of sexual harassment and bullying.

The fallen star was forced to drop his starring role as Frank-N-Furter in a 2018 Australian production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show after three of his former female co-stars accused him of grossly inappropriate behavior when they performed with him four years earlier.

After Victoria Police investigated the allegations, he was charged with 13 offences, namely assault and indecent assault. However, he was acquitted on all counts after a four-week trial in December 2020.

McLachlan, who has strongly denied the allegations, said the ordeal left him extremely anxious and fearful of being in the spotlight again.

He said he overcame his fears with the help of “Australia’s best psychiatrist” and by playing guitar alongside country singer Andy Penkow at a series of pub rock gigs across the country.

“When you’ve been through the ring of hell, you wonder, ‘Can I ever get up and put myself out there?’ That’s tough,” he said.

‘After that brutal public crucifixion, I didn’t know if I could stand in front of an audience anymore – whether it was nine people or 900 people – that was a very big fear for me.

‘But the worst thing a guitar can do is snap a string. That was really reassuring and it was great to connect with the people who come to the gigs.

“It really made a difference. All my fears melted away when I struck the first string and saw people start laughing.”

McLachlan says he’s even started to “reclaim” his connection to The Rocky Horror Picture Show by singing a medley of the musical’s greatest hits during his pub gigs.

“There’s nothing anyone can do to destroy my relationship with that show,” he said.

“The audience loved it and that’s what it’s all about for me: the people. It changed everything.”

McLachlan said his therapy — both on his psychiatrist’s couch and onstage next to Penkow — ultimately helped him overcome much of the anger that had gripped him since the allegations against him first emerged.

“There are so many things that happen in life that you can’t prepare for… one thing I’ve learned through all of this is that I’m surrounded by great people,” he said.

‘When shit hits the fan in the media, people run for cover and are afraid to raise their heads and support you publicly because they’re afraid they’ll get chopped off.

‘But you just have to get out of bed and make your bed, because at the end of what is probably going to be a really hard day, when you just want to give up, you’re going to need it.

‘I will forever be grateful to the people who supported me, like Vanessa, who helped me keep going.

‘No matter what anyone has ever said or claimed about me, nothing I do or say would ever be intentional to make anyone else feel uncomfortable. I know that’s not who I am.

“But what about forgiveness? Ask me about forgiveness later.”