Craig McLachlan has withdrawn from a scheduled national tour of Cluedo less than a week after his casting was announced, saying a social media campaign and its impact on other cast members and his family left him no choice but to step away.
In a video posted to his Instagram on Tuesday, the 60-year-old actor and singer said the online attacks had targeted him and two other performers in the production and had also affected his partner, Vanessa, and their friends and family. "The bullying even extends to my partner, Vanessa, and our friends and family," he said. "Only days before the announcement, I made it very clear that I didn't want my inclusion in the cast to impact negatively on any of the other actors. Those two actors mentioned alongside me have been and continue to be harassed and bullied by their peers ... 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."
McLachlan said he had delayed revealing his decision publicly because his mother died one day before he planned to share the statement. He said he had cared for her for eight years. The actor said the period of legal and public scrutiny that followed earlier allegations had caused him "crippling anxiety" and that he had been apprehensive about a return to the limelight.
Cluedo, a stage adaptation of the popular board game, was to mark McLachlan's return to the theatre after a high-profile exit from the industry in 2018. He left a production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show after three former female co-stars accused him of inappropriate behaviour while they performed together. Victoria Police charged McLachlan with 13 counts of assault and indecent assault following an investigation; he was acquitted of all charges after a four-week trial in December 2020.
The casting announcement for Cluedo drew immediate industry backlash and renewed attention to McLachlan's past legal case. In his video statement, he said the social media campaign had "impacted those involved in the production" and that his withdrawal was intended to prevent further harm to colleagues. He did not identify the two other actors he said had been harassed.
Representatives for the Cluedo production did not immediately respond to requests for comment on McLachlan's withdrawal. The producers had confirmed the national tour earlier this month, with dates and venues yet to be widely publicised.
McLachlan, who rose to prominence in the 1990s for his television and stage work, has repeatedly denied the allegations that led to his 2018 departure and the subsequent criminal charges. Following his acquittal in 2020, he has made several attempts to resume his career, citing the psychological toll of the accusations and the legal proceedings.
The episode underscores continuing tensions within entertainment industries over casting decisions involving performers with contested public histories, and the speed with which social media responses can influence theatrical productions. The producers of Cluedo and others involved in the tour now face the task of filling the role on short notice and managing public attention as the production moves forward.