Micheal Ward, the British actor known for his roles in the Netflix series Top Boy and Steve McQueen’s Small Axe, has been found not guilty of rape and sexual assault following a trial in London. 

Ward was accused of raping a woman in the back of a Mercedes after meeting her at a New Year’s party in January 2023.

Ward had denied all the allegations and was acquitted today by a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London. The BBC reported that Ward told the court: “Everything we did was wholly consensual.”

The actor was formally charged in July 2025. In the UK, being charged with a crime simply means the police have formally accused you of an offence. It is not a conviction. In a statement after he was charged, Ward denied the accusations and said he was fully cooperating with police.

“I recognise that proceedings are now ongoing, and I have full faith that they will lead to my name being cleared. Given those proceedings, I am unable to comment further,” the statement concluded. He was granted bail in August 2025.

Ward first earned widespread recognition for his leading role in the Netflix series Top Boy. He played the role of Jamie opposite Kano and Ashley Walters. He then went on to star in feature projects like Blue Story, The Old Guard, and Empire of Light. In 2020, he received BAFTA’s EE Rising Star Award. His most recent big screen credit is Ari Aster’s Eddington, which debuted at last year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Following last year’s accusation, Ward was dropped by UK agency Olivia Bell Management. He continued to be repped in the U.S. by CAA.