Micheal Ward, a rising Hollywood star, has been dropped by his talent agency after he was charged with rape and sexual assault.
The British actor, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, was charged with two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault, London's Metropolitan Police said. The alleged offenses occurred in January 2023 and concern a single woman.
Ward denies any wrongdoing, and he has expressed confidence in his eventual exoneration.
The actor has worked with some of the biggest directors in Hollywood today. He co-starred in the acclaimed Sam Mendes drama Empire of Light (2022) and is set to appear in Ari Aster's upcoming Western, Eddington (2025).
Ward is due to appear in Thames magistrates court in east London on August 28.
“I deny the charges against me entirely. I have cooperated fully with the police throughout their investigation and will continue to cooperate," he said.
“I recognize 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.”
Detective Supt Scott Ware, whose team is leading the Met’s investigation, said: “Our specialist officers continue to support the woman who has come forward – we know investigations of this nature can have significant impact on those who make reports.”
Catherine Baccas, the deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London South, said: “Having carefully reviewed a file of evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service has authorized the Metropolitan police to charge Micheal Ward, 27, with two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault against a woman in January 2023."
“We remind all concerned that proceedings against the suspect are active and he has a right to a fair trial. It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Ward became famous for his role in the Netflix revival of the crime drama Top Boy, which is set in East London. He appeared in 19 episodes from 2019 to 2022.
The Jamaican-born actor won the BAFTA Rising Star award for Blue Story (2019) and was nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actor for Small Axe (2020), a BBC series about West Indian immigrants living in London.
As reported by Deadline, Ward's UK talent agency Olivia Bell Management has dropped him.
These are disturbing accusations, but like all defendants, Ward is innocent until proven guilty.
