Rebel Wilson’s wife has been accused of mocking the court testimony of The Deb lead actor Charlotte MacInnes in an ongoing defamation case.

Ramona Agruma allegedly posted on Instagram an image of Finding Nemo character Dory with the words: “I suffer from short term memory loss … or do I? I can’t remember.”

MacInnes told the Federal Court on Friday that the social media post appeared to reference her testimony the day before.

The young actor had come close to tears when she appeared in the witness box on Thursday.

MacInnes’ barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC suggested the post was referencing her client’s responses that she couldn’t remember details about four years of travel.

She said the post was relevant to a claim for aggravated damages over the harm caused to the young actor, who attested the post made her feel “awful”.

“She was mocking the evidence I gave,” MacInnes told the court.

MacInnes is the lead actor in The Deb, a musical comedy set in rural NSW that was directed and co-produced by Wilson.

Her lawsuit against Wilson centres on the aftermath of a medical episode suffered by the film’s co-producer Amanda Ghost at Bondi Beach in September 2023.

MacInnes helped her back to an apartment they were sharing with others and the pair ended up sharing a bath in their swimwear in a bid to warm up, she says.

Wilson claims MacInnes had confided she felt uncomfortable after Ghost requested they shower and bathe together, but MacInnes denies making a complaint.

MacInnes said Wilson’s suggestion that she withdrew the complaint in return for a lead role in a stage production and a record deal has seriously harmed her reputation, she told the court.

Both Wilson and her wife are expected to give evidence in the second week of the legal battle.

Ghost also on Friday and was quizzed about her support for MacInnes, which included sharing another actor’s audition tape to assist her in her own audition efforts.

The young actor previously told the court she was grateful for Ghost’s encouragement as she worked hard to achieve her dreams.

She had been confused and deeply distressed when Ghost kept her distance after Wilson aired the actor’s alleged complaint.

After she found out the reason for the cold shoulder, the actor said it was important Ghost knew she had never made a complaint.

“If Amanda believed I made an improper complaint against her, I believe that would have very much harmed our relationship,” she said.

MacInnes claims her reputation has been seriously damaged by suggestions in the social media posts that she is untrustworthy and prioritised her career over the 300 cast and crew of The Deb.

“(This is) a malignant allegation against my client that she sold the allegation of sexual harassment in exchange for her own professional and commercial benefit,” Chrysanthou previously said.

But Wilson denies the posts are defamatory and says the young actor’s career has not been adversely affected by the posts.

The key issue is not whether MacInnes was sexually harassed but rather whether she made a complaint and then withdrew it, Wilson’s barrister Dauid Sibtain SC said.

“Our case is that … she changed her story,” he argued during his opening address.

“She did so to ensure her career as an actress and musician progressed by appeasing Ms Ghost.”

-with AAP