Warning: This article contains information about sexual assault which may be distressing for some readers.
On Monday, actress and accomplished theatre performer Christie Whelan Browne finally told her story.
Alongside two other women – Erika Heynatz and Angela Scundi – Whelan Browne claimed former Neighbours star and her Rocky Horror Show co-star, Craig McLachlan, indecently assaulted, harassed and bullied her while they worked together in 2014.
As part of a joint investigation between Fairfax and ABC, the 35-year-old said she was once sexually assaulted by the 52-year-old live on stage, as unsuspecting audience members watched on.
The script required McLachlan’s character to kiss her neck and arm before disappearing beneath sheets on a vertical bed. But, Whelan Browne alleged, the kissing didn’t stop once he was out of view.
“As the tour went on he would always tell me he could see my vagina through my white underpants that were my costume. And he said that he could see the slit of my vagina and that he could smell it and that it smelled sweet,” she told 7.30.
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“And he would talk about this a lot and then one night, when he was down in the bed, he traced the outline of my vagina with his finger and I slapped his hand away.
“I didn’t know that it was sexual harassment. I didn’t know how inappropriate it was because it was always a joke. But, that’s not a joke.”
Top Comments
How ridiculous... trolls saying she's doing this to try to get famous.
I really don't like musicals, but even I know right away who Christie Whelan Browne is. This is not a PR exercise. It takes strength to come forward and speak out. Besides, at least three others are saying the same about Craig McLachlan.
I’ve never understood this mentality...IF you truly believe that Craig is innocent and IF you truly feel like your voice must be heard in regards to this situation why not jump on his social media and send him a message of support?
Why jump on Christie’s social media and be horrible? It’s clearly not going to achieve anything....what do u think she is going to be like “well now that random internet person number 118 as told me to go get raped I’m going to withdrawal everything I’ve said”....because that’s not going to happen. It’s a pretty sad state of affairs that they don’t have anything better to do with your lives.
Because trolling isn't about defending the other person, it's about trying to bring someone down. There are a lot of very angry people out there - either depressed and bitter about where they're at in their lives or consumed with jealousy and a sense of being 'ripped off'. Any opportunity to tear someone else to shreds allows these types to vent. I can guarantee you that these people are not Craig McLahlan fans they're just trolls desperately trying to find a way to deal with their ugly feelings.