Craig McLachlan has withdrawn from next year’s national tour of Cluedo, saying a social media campaign that targeted him and fellow cast members had begun to affect other people involved with the production.
In a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday, the 60-year-old actor and singer said he could not allow his participation to result in harassment of other actors, his partner or their family and that he had therefore chosen to step away less than a week after his casting was announced. He told followers the online abuse had been directed at him and "two other actors" and that it had "even extend[ed] to my partner, Vanessa, and our friends and family."
McLachlan said he delayed making the exit public after his mother died one day before he planned to release a statement. "I have had the rare privilege of caring for my dear mum over these past eight years," he said, adding that her death followed days after he prepared the message announcing his withdrawal.
Cluedo, a stage play based on the popular board game, would have marked McLachlan's return to the stage after an absence from mainstream theatre. Australian media reports said the decision followed industry backlash to his casting. The production's timetable lists the tour as scheduled for next year.
McLachlan's planned return was controversial because he has been at the centre of sexual harassment and bullying allegations that derailed his career in 2018. He left a leading role as Frank-N-Furter in an Australian production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show after three former female co-stars voiced accusations of inappropriate behaviour. Victoria Police later charged him with 13 counts of assault and indecent assault; he was acquitted on all charges after a four-week trial in December 2020.
He has denied the allegations and, in his Instagram statement, described suffering "crippling anxiety" as a result of the legal process and the publicity surrounding the case. McLachlan said the anxiety had made him apprehensive about returning to the limelight.
Representatives for the Cluedo production did not immediately issue a statement, and organisers have not publicly named replacements for the role. Media coverage of McLachlan's casting prompted discussion within the industry and on social platforms about the potential impact of bringing a controversial figure back to high-profile theatrical roles.
McLachlan said he acted to prevent continued harassment of others associated with the show. "I cannot and will not let my involvement in a show result in good people being targeted by trolls and bullies. I have therefore made the decision to withdraw from the production," he said in the video.
The actor’s withdrawal closes a brief chapter in what had been billed as a comeback and leaves the Cluedo tour's casting and publicity plans unresolved as producers consider next steps.