Craig McLachlan has told his defamation trial against Fairfax Media, the ABC and actress Christie Whelan Browne of “quasi porno shots” taken with her during a production of the musical Grease.
The Gold Logie winner is suing the news outlets and Whelan Browne for defamation over claims made in 2018 reports of assault, indecent assault, harassment and that he exposed himself to female cast members during a 2014 production of the Rocky Horror Show.
The 56-year-old is also suing over claims about his conduct in other shows.
The media outlets are defending the claims on the basis of truth.
On Tuesday, McLachlan gave evidence that he met Whelan Browne when the pair performed in a 2005 stadium production of Grease, with him playing the lead Danny Zuko and Whelan Browne as cheerleader Patty Simcox.
McLachlan was shown photos of the pair taken backstage, likely in Sydney, describing them as “quasi porno shots” of them in their “fabulous” 1950s costumes.
He said the positions shown in the photos were Whelan Browne’s choice, that he declined to pull her hair while posing for them, and that they were for “personal use”.
The NSW Supreme Court trial has previously been told the photos showed the pair simulating sex.
Asked by his barrister Kieran Smark SC about his relationship with Whelan Browne during Grease, McLachlan replied “terrific”.
He said there were lots of laughs and “Christie and I got on fabulously well”.
Earlier, defence barrister Michael Hodge QC told the court that McLachlan behaved inappropriately to six women who worked on a 2014 Rocky Horror Show production, with five of those women being performers and one a crew member
Another five women alleging misconduct worked with McLachlan on Neighbours, City Homicide and The Doctor Blake Mysteries, and a 2018 Rocky Horror Show production.
There would be evidence from three women who played Janet in the rock musical’s 2014 production, with their testimony expected to include that he would “kiss down the body” of actresses during the “bed scene” while hidden from view, the barrister said.
The court was told that the defence case included that McLachlan, in the scene, on one occasion “traced down” part of Whelan Browne’s vagina with his finger after telling her earlier that he could “see her little slit” through see-through stage underpants.
McLachlan, on another occasion during the same scene, pulled her stage underpants to the side and kissed her on the buttock, the barrister said.
Whelan Browne became “frightened and upset” after McLachlan grabbed her jaw and aggressively threw her face to one side during the musical’s “I’m going home” scene, Mr Hodge also said.
He told the jury that Whelan Browne had a “pretty filthy” sense of humour and they would likely hear of communications, including text messages, between her and McLachlan of the pair “joking around”.
Other actresses who played Janet, one of whom cannot be identified, would tell of uncomfortable encounters with McLachlan, including him running his hand up an actress’s leg when she was on a hidden platform, and forced kissing in a dressing room.
The trial continues.
