A woman who alleges actor John Jarratt raped her in the 1970s has told a court she did not press charges until 2017 because she did not think police would believe her.

Key points: Mr Jarratt has pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape, claiming the sex was consensual

Mr Jarratt has pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape, claiming the sex was consensual The complainant said she told Mr Jarratt's then wife about the rape, but that Rosa Miano did not believe her

The complainant said she told Mr Jarratt's then wife about the rape, but that Rosa Miano did not believe her She said she was "scared to death" and put the alleged rape to the back of her mind

On the second day of a trial in the NSW District Court, the woman said she knew the man who allegedly raped her was Mr Jarratt because of his voice and the weight of a black leather jacket he wore.

The woman's identity has been suppressed.

The alleged rape occurred in a dark bedroom of an eastern Sydney share house, where Mr Jarratt lived with his then wife Rosa Miano in the mid-1970s.

The 66-year-old actor has pleaded not guilty, claiming the sex was consensual.

The woman said she froze during the alleged attack and was too frightened to make a noise because she did not want Ms Miano to hear and have her marriage to Mr Jarrett ruined.

The court today heard about 10 years after the alleged incident the woman said she told Ms Miano that Mr Jarratt raped her, after finding out the two were separated.

"I wanted her to feel better about the fact that she'd left him, and I wanted her to know," she told the court via video link.

Defence barrister Greg James QC questioned why the woman did not instead go to the police if her chief concern was for a marriage that was over.

"I didn't think they'd believe me back then," she said.

"I was still very young."

The woman, who complained to police in 2017, said Ms Miano did not believe her.

She denied suggestions she had instead referred to the incident during that conversation as a "one-night stand".

The woman told the court she was "scared to death" the night she was allegedly raped and "put that episode to the back of my mind" for years after.

The complainant was shown dated photographs of a holiday as Mr Jarrett's lawyer sought to clarify whether the alleged attack took place in 1976 or 1975.

"I got the dates confused," she said. "But it's quite possible it was 1975, so I got the dates wrong."

'He didn't go into much detail': Ex-wife gives evidence

During her evidence, Ms Miano told the court Mr Jarratt confessed to her about his infidelity around 1984.

"[He said] he was remorseful and it was the first time there was any infidelity between us," Ms Miano said.

"He didn't go into too much detail, it was too painful."

Ms Miano said six years later, in 1990, the complainant called her and said Mr Jarratt had cheated on Ms Miano with her.

"I can't remember how the conversation ended, but I just know how I felt … after that point I felt that I wouldn't be able to have any other contact with her," she said.

Ms Miano said the woman attempted to contact her in 1994 but she did not return repeated phone calls.