Micheal Ward, an actor best known for his role in the Netflix crime series Top Boy, has been acquitted of raping and sexually assaulting a woman he met at a party in 2023.
A London jury found the actor not guilty of two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault on Friday, July 10, the BBC reported.
Ward, 28, was arrested and charged in July 2025, following an investigation by London’s Metropolitan Police.
The actor was accused of raping the woman in the back of a Mercedes after inviting her into the vehicle. He pleaded not guilty and maintained the encounter was consensual.
The woman testified that she felt “numb” during the encounter. She told the jury she never would have gotten into the car if she had known what would happen. She added that she remembered “wanting it all to be over,” and being left in pain after the alleged assault.
Ward took the stand and countered that the two had been flirting before he asked the woman to join him in the car.
“Everything we did was wholly consensual and we were having a great time,” the actor testified. “She was reciprocating the energy. She was pulling me close. For me, that was an inviting act and we were both enjoying that moment.”
The actor said the two later exchanged messages and the woman told him to enjoy the rest of the night.
The jury reached a verdict after about five hours of deliberations. Ward placed a hand over his mouth and became visibly emotional as the verdict was read.
The actor’s attorney Humzah Ilyas spoke to reporters outside court.
“Micheal is thankful this process has now reached a conclusion. He looks forward to getting back to doing work he loves and focusing on the future,” the attorney said. “Micheal would like to acknowledge those who have experienced sexual violence and abuse. They deserve to be heard, treated with compassion, and have their allegations taken seriously.”
Born in Jamaica, Ward moved to London with his family as a child. He began his career in the entertainment industry as a fashion model.
As he pivoted to acting, he made his film debut in the 2016 British crime drama Brotherhood. After landing a role in the 2019 British film Blue Story, he won the BAFTA Rising Star Award for his performance.
Ward received additional acclaim for his role in Top Boy as gang leader Jamie in 19 episodes of the crime drama. He also had roles in The Old Guard (2020) and The Book of Clarence (2023), according to his IMDb page.
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