Micheal Ward, the British actor widely recognized for his role in Netflix’s Top Boy, has been cleared of rape and sexual assault charges.
The BAFTA-winning actor had been accused of raping a woman in the back of a car after the two met at a party in January 2023. Ward denied the two rape charges and three sexual assault charges brought against him.
On Friday (July 10), a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court in East London found him not guilty on all counts, according to BBC News. Ward maintained that “everything” that happened between him and the complainant “was wholly consensual.”
Known for his performances in Blue Story and Empire of Light, Ward was arrested on January 18, 2023. In a prepared statement to police, he said: “I deny the allegation of rape. I want to put on record that we had consensual foreplay and consensual sex.” He was officially charged in July 2025 and later released on bail in August 2025.
While testifying in court, Ward said he found the woman—whose identity is protected for legal reasons—”very cute” when they first met and believed there was mutual interest between them.
He told the court that he invited her into a car, where they continued flirting. “She was reciprocating the energy. She was pulling me close. For me, that was an inviting act and we were both enjoying that moment,” Ward said, adding that she “never mentioned anything about wanting to leave.”
Following the encounter, the pair exchanged messages. Ward sent a smiling emoji with a heart, and the woman responded by telling him to enjoy the rest of his evening.
The complainant gave a different version of events, telling the court that she “never would have got in that car with him” if she had known what would happen. She alleged that the encounter was not consensual, stating, “Micheal raped me,” and claimed she “completely shut down” and “did not use the word no” during the alleged incident.
She also testified that, while traveling home with a friend afterward, she ordered an STI testing kit and selected the option indicating that she had been sexually assaulted.
Following the allegations, Ward parted ways with his UK representatives at Olivia Bell Management. However, he continued to be represented in the United States by CAA.
