Craig McLachlans backstage pics with Christie Whelan Browne released as defamation trial continue

Craig McLachlan has been photographed touching former co-star Christie Whelan Browne‘s bottom in “play-sexual” backstage images released by a court.

McLachlan is suing Ms Whelan Browne and two media outlets for allegedly defaming him in several January 2018 news stories that he says falsely portrayed him as having assaulted and indecently assaulted her.

He also claims he was falsely portrayed as having sexually harassed and bullied other female colleagues during a 2014 run of the musical Rocky Horror Show.

He denies the allegations.

Media outlets ABC and Fairfax have said that the stories didn't carry the meanings McLachlan alleged, and if they did, those things were true.

Among the pictures released by Sydney’s Supreme Court on Tuesday were backstage images taken during a 2005 production of the musical Grease.

McLachlan‘s barrister Kieran Smark, SC told the court on Monday the actor met Whelan Brown during that production.

“They met, and he will tell you about becoming friends with her,” Mr Smark told the jury.

Mr Smark said he tendered the backstage images to give the jury a “flavour” of their relationship.

They show the pair in a corridor, wearing stage outfits, striking poses with a“play-sexual element” to them, according to Mr Smark.

“She‘s standing with her hands against the wall and pretending or playing at something to do with simulated sex, one supposes,” he said.

He added that the glare from a camera flash made both actors seem “somewhat demonic”.

The jury was also shown onstage and backstage pictures from the Rocky Horror Show production the pair did together years later.

In the witness stand on Tuesday, McLachlan said Whelan Browne had asked him to take the “quasi porno shots”.

He said their relationship was “terrific”, full of “lots of laughs” and the pair got on “fabulously well”.

The court was told that after a performance together, Whelan Browne pulled McLachlan backstage and asked him to take photos with her in “porno-style” positions.

McLachlan said the positions shown in the photos were Whelan Browne’s choice and he declined to pull her hair when she asked him to.

He said it was her sense of humour and for “personal use”.

Whelan Browne is expected to give her evidence at a later date.

The media organisations’ barrister Michael Hodge QC told the jury they would hear evidence of what she and the other defendants say are “incidents of sexual harassment, indecent exposure, indecent assault, assault and bullying those women experienced at the hands of Mr McLachlan”.

The defamation trial continues on Wednesday.

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