Micheal Ward has been found not guilty of rape and sexual assault following a trial in London.

The ‘Top Boy’ actor, 28, had denied two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to an alleged incident involving a woman he met at an east London nightclub in January 2023.

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Moments ago, a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court acquitted Ward on all counts.

As previously reported, the BAFTA-winning actor maintained his innocence as the trial got underway, with the charges stemming from an encounter in the back of a car after the pair met during a night out.

During proceedings, Ward told the court that the encounter was consensual.

“Everything we did was wholly consensual.”

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave a different account in court and told jurors she had “completely shut down” during the alleged incident.

Ward, who rose to prominence as Jamie in ‘Top Boy’ and also starred in ‘Blue Story,’ was arrested in January 2023. In a prepared statement given to police at the time, he denied the allegation of rape and said the sexual activity had been consensual.

The actor won the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2020 and later earned further acclaim for his roles in ‘Small Axe’ and ‘Empire of Light’.

As of writing, Ward has not issued a new public statement following the verdict.

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