A London jury has found actor Micheal Ward not guilty on charges of rape and sexual assault, Variety reports. Ward—who gained public recognition (and a BAFTA Rising Star award) for performances in projects like British crime thriller Top Boy and Blue Story, and who most recently appeared in front of American audiences in Ari Aster’s Eddington—was ultimately found not guilty on five charges: two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault.
The case against Ward dates back to an incident during New Year’s in January 2023, where Ward was alleged to have met a woman (whose name has not been made public) outside of a London club, invited her into the back of a car, and then sexually assaulted her. Ward has denied the allegations, stating that the sexual encounter was consensual. The woman’s testimony (per a report in BBC News) presented a different version of events, asserting that she “never would have got in that car with him” if she’d known what would happen, told Ward she needed to leave “on multiple occasions,” and bluntly stated, “Micheal raped me.”
Ward’s lawyer issued a statement after the acquittal, saying that “It has been three and a half years since the police started investigating this matter, during which time Micheal’s life, as well as his successful career, has been put on hold. This has, inevitably, had a profound impact on him and those closest to him. Micheal is thankful this process has now reached a conclusion. He looks forward to getting back to the doing work he loves and focusing on the future.” The statement added that, “As he starts to rebuild his life, 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.”
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