In his first interview since the claims emerged, the actor says his career has been ‘annihilated’

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The actor Craig McLachlan will fight the claims of sexual misconduct against him, saying his career has been “annihilated” by the accusations.

The former Rocky Horror show star said the show’s backstage culture could be lewd, but McLachlan insisted he was innocent of the allegations against him, he told News Corp in his first public interview since the allegations surfaced earlier this month.

McLachlan left the stage show mid-January amid allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour, with his understudy taking to the stage as Frank N Furter for the Brisbane and Perth season.

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It came after three women – Christie Whelan Browne, Angela Scundi and Erika Heynatz – who appeared in the 2014 production of the Rocky Horror Show told the ABC McLachlan inappropriately touched them or exposed himself.

A woman and a man who worked as part of the crew have also gone to Victorian police, who are investigating the allegations.

McLachlan said he did not understand why the allegations were made.

“By God I will fight this,” he told News Corp.

“And the truth, the truth will come out,” he said while not commenting on the specific allegations made against him, citing legal advice.

“There are hundreds and hundreds of people who will stand forward and go: ‘What we have read in the media recently, this is not the guy we know’. So [I feel] anger, hurt, bewilderment, but it keeps coming back to shock. How can this be?”

Producers of the popular TV show The Doctor Blake Mysteries, in which McLachlan stars, have also temporarily halted preparations for the new series on the Seven Network while allegations are investigated.

Cast and crew of the TV show have reportedly revealed details of McLachlan’s on-set behaviour, including an alleged incident where he held a banana to his crotch and thrust it into the faces of an actress and director.

One crew member told Fairfax Media McLachlan’s constant sexual innuendos might have been brushed off as a joke by some but “it looked like sexual harassment”.