Craig McLachlan’s loyal partner slams ‘witch hunt’ and ‘misdirected fury’ that ended actor’s career – after the soap star was acquitted of assault charges

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Craig McLachlan’s partner, Vanessa Scammell, has strongly defended him, claiming he was unfairly targeted and effectively lost his career due to what she describes as a ‘witch hunt’.

After accusations of sexual assault and harassment surfaced regarding his work on The Rocky Horror Picture Show, McLachlan was essentially shut out of the industry.

After a month-long trial in December 2020, he was found not guilty on all 13 counts of assault and indecent assault.

In a new podcast titled ‘Not Guilty,’ celebrated Australian conductor Scammell talked about the consequences of accusations made during the Me Too movement.

‘It was a time of confusion, uncertainty and often misdirected fury,’ she said in the new episode. 

The search for someone to blame was happening rapidly, fueled by a strong need to reduce worry and find a scapegoat.

According to Scammell, when the Me Too movement was at its peak, many Australians were searching for someone within the country to blame.

She explains that Craig became a symbol for everything negative surrounding Australia – anger, disappointment, hatred, and shock – often becoming the focus of blame, even if he wasn’t originally responsible. If a convenient symbol didn’t exist, it seemed one would be manufactured.

She wondered who the biggest heartthrob would be, then realized with a bit of alarm that the answer was obvious.

The composer observed that publicly criticizing and condemning people had become common practice within this movement, which he described as harsh and lacking self-reflection.

Scammell shared with news.com.au that she and Craig are trying to move on, but are finding it difficult due to the ongoing consequences of the charges.

After facing criticism from the entertainment industry in September, McLachlan decided not to participate in the 2026 stage production of Cluedo, which is based on the well-known board game. Scammell, meanwhile, is upset by the continuing public criticism directed at him.

As a lifestyle expert, I was really struck by the situation with Craig. After he was found not guilty, it was disheartening to see an online campaign drive him to withdraw from things. It really made me wonder – how long do you have to prove your innocence before people will simply let it go? It’s a tough question, and one that highlights the lasting impact online negativity can have, even after someone’s been cleared.

The actor and singer had to cancel his return to the stage in September because he was targeted by online bullies.

Rhys Muldoon began playing Colonel Mustard in the stage show adapted from the 1985 movie, Clue.

In a video posted to Instagram, McLachlan explained he was the target of a social media campaign that negatively affected everyone working on the project.

He shared that he, along with two fellow actors and people in their circle, had been subjected to bullying.

‘The bullying even extends to my partner, Vanessa, and our friends and family,’ he said.

Just before the news was made public, I told everyone I didn’t want my being cast to cause any problems for the other actors.

The actors I’m associated with are facing ongoing harassment from others in the industry, and I refuse to contribute to a situation where good people are targeted by online abuse. Because of this, I’ve decided to leave the show.

The play Cluedo would have signaled McLachlan’s comeback to performing after being ostracized by the entertainment industry for eight years. This followed accusations of sexual assault and harassment that surfaced during performances of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

In 2018, he had to step down from playing Frank-N-Furter after three female colleagues accused him of harassment that occurred while they worked together four years prior.

McLachlan has consistently and strongly denied the accusations, and says the experience caused him severe anxiety. He was also worried about returning to public life.

He recently shared that he conquered his anxiety through therapy with a leading Australian psychiatrist, and by playing guitar with country singer Andy Penkow in pub gigs across the country.

McLachlan explained that therapy – through sessions with his psychiatrist and performing with Penkow – allowed him to finally address and move past the anger he’d felt since the initial accusations against him.

The actor, once famous for his role on Neighbours, had worked steadily in Australian entertainment for over thirty years before a scandal ended his career.

I’ve noticed McLachlan hasn’t been very public lately, which made it a real surprise to see him on SAS Australia last year! It was great to see what he’s been up to, even if it was a challenging show.

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2026-01-07 13:36