The Chronicle

McLachlan accuser gets rape threats

- Liz Burke News Corp

ONE of the actresses accusing Craig McLachlan of sexual assault says she has received rape threats after going public with her claims.

Christie Whelan Browne, 35, was one of three women who came forward with claims of inappropri­ate touching and kissing by the Gold Logie winner during a Melbourne stage show.

“The people who have tweeted to me to say they hope I get raped, hope I never work again and that they wish to spit on my face are incredibly hard to ignore,” she tweeted.

While clearly affected by the threats, she thanked supporters, saying: “The amount of love is drowning them out ... rising above is hard, but I’m trying.”

Whelan Browne, who starred alongside McLachlan in a 2014 production of The Rocky Horror Show, has accused the actor of touching and kissing her inappropri­ately during a sexually charged scene performed in front of an audience of 2000.

“He was directed to kiss down my neck, down my arm and go down out of sight, but he would always kiss down my breasts and continue to kiss all the way down until I would have to sort of move and wriggle away,” she told the ABC’s 7.30 program.

“One night ... he traced the outline of my vagina with his finger and I slapped his hand away.”

McLachlan has vehemently denied all claims against him, and the production company, The Gordon Frost Organisati­on, has denied knowledge of the accusation­s.

Meanwhile, journalist Tracey Spicer, a leader in the Fairfax/ABC investigat­ion into sexual harassment in the media and entertainm­ent sector, revealed death threats had also followed the bombshell allegation­s.

“Feel free to express an opinion about our #metoo #timesup investigat­ion, but be aware that death threats on social media can carry a strong penalty. And we are not afraid to take action,” she tweeted.

Spicer said the threats had been aimed at some of her colleagues and she wanted to make it clear “these kinds of tweets will be reported to police”.

New accusers have joined the three actresses in airing claims against McLachlan since the investigat­ion was published on Monday.

Most recently, a runner on a TV drama, aged 22 at the time, told the ABC that a trip from the Melbourne airport with the star in 2008 had been “a really uncomforta­ble experience”.

The woman claimed McLachlan had pointed the car’s air-conditioni­ng vents towards her saying, “I was hoping to see your nipples go hard. Can you see my nipples getting hard?”

The ABC also reported yesterday that a tanning salon worker claimed McLachlan kissed her in a “bizarre situation”.

“Out of nowhere he said to me, ‘I am very sorry but I just have to do this’,” she said. “He walked around the reception desk to where I was sitting, he grabbed my face in both hands and passionate­ly kissed me, tongue included.”

McLachlan has not responded to the new allegation­s, but said initial claims by his Rocky Horror Show co-stars were “all made up”.

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