Jury Clears Top Boy Star, Micheal Ward of Rape, Sexual Assault

Top Boy actor Micheal Ward broke down in tears in court on Friday after a jury found him not guilty of all rape and sexual assault charges brought against him.

The 28-year-old actor had been accused of raping and sexually assaulting a woman in the back of a Mercedes after they met outside a New Year’s party in east London in January 2023. Ward denied the allegations, insisting throughout the trial that the encounter was consensual.

After a two-week trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, jurors unanimously cleared Ward of two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault following more than five hours of deliberations.

As the verdicts were read, Ward became emotional and burst into tears, while his family and friends in the public gallery shouted in relief. He was later assisted out of the courtroom by his defence lawyer.

During the trial, Ward told the court, “Everything we did was wholly consensual.” He added, “We engaged in consensual sex, had a great time and she was actively participating in what we were doing all the time.”

Following the verdict, his solicitor, Humzah Ilyas, said the case had a “profound impact” on the actor’s life and career.

“As he maintained throughout this case, this was a consensual sexual encounter. The jury agreed and cleared him of all wrongdoing,” Ilyas said, adding that Ward was grateful to the jury, his family and God.

He also noted that the actor wanted to acknowledge survivors of sexual violence, saying they “deserve to be heard, treated with compassion, and have their allegations taken seriously.”