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Jessica Marais is not in a 'lesbian relationship' with her friend Shannon Dooley.

The Wrong Girl actress Jessica Marais, 31, has denied she’s in a relationship with her friend and former NIDA classmate Shannon Dooley, following an article claiming the pair were dating.

On Monday, photographs of the two women embracing and laughing at the beach were shared by Woman’s Day, headlined “Jessica Marais has found her right girl”.

“Men have been public enemy number one for Jess since her split with James, and she’s just enjoying having a bit of fun at the moment,” a friend of Marais reportedly said, quoted in Woman’s Day.

The pair met at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 2007 and, since then, Marais has continued to pursue a career in acting, while Dooley runs a Sydney Retrosweat freestyle aerobics business.

Since the photos went public, Marais has told friends she considers Dooley nothing more than a good mate, according to The Daily Telegraph.

“They were just being silly, having fun at the beach, that is what friends do,” a source told the Telegraph. “They are 100 per cent not dating.”

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A photo posted by Shannon Dooley (@shannondooley84) on

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A photo posted by Shannon Dooley (@shannondooley84) on

Marais was previously married to actor James Stewart until they split in 2015. They have a daughter together, Scout, who turned four this year.

Marias has said her life “revolves around” her baby Scout Edie Stewart”.

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