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Micheal Ward, BAFTA-winning British actor, charged with sexual assault

Micheal Ward, 27, a BAFTA-winning British actor known for his role in the series Top Boy, appeared today at Thames Magistrates’ Court in London for a preliminary hearing on charges of sexual assault

Ward, originally from Jamaica and resident in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, is charged with two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault against one woman, dating back to January 2023.

During the hearing, the actor confirmed his name, address and date of birth. The court granted bail pending the next hearing, set for 25 September at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Ward has not yet formally pleaded guilty or not guilty, but has firmly denied all charges.

In a statement released in July, Ward said he had “cooperated fully with the police since the beginning of the investigation” and had “full confidence that the investigation will prove his innocence”.

The actor rose to fame in 2019 with the film Blue Story and was awarded the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2020. He then played Jamie in the Netflix series Top Boy (2019-2022) and was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award in 2021 for his role in the series Small Axe.

In 2022, he starred alongside Olivia Colman in Sam Mendes’ film Empire of Light, and recently appeared in the pandemic-themed western Eddington, which was released in the UK last weekend.

The allegations have attracted widespread attention in the British entertainment world, where Ward is considered one of the most promising emerging actors of recent years.

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