Top Boy actor Micheal Ward appears in court on rape charges

Top Boy actor Micheal Ward has appeared in court on rape charges.

The BAFTA-winning actor appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court in London on Thursday for a brief preliminary hearing.

He has been charged with three counts of sexual assault and two counts of rape. He was granted conditional bail, with his case being sent to Snaresbrook Crown Court for a further hearing on 25 September.

Ward, 27, appeared in court wearing a black jacket and dark glasses. During the short hearing, he confirmed his name, address and date of birth.

The Jamaican-born British actor has not yet been asked to enter a formal plea; however, in a statement issued after the charges were announced in July, he denied them "entirely".

The statement read, "I deny the charges against me entirely. I have cooperated fully with the police throughout their investigation and will continue to cooperate."

"I recognise that proceedings are now ongoing, and I have full faith that they will lead to my name being cleared," it continued. "Given those proceedings, I am unable to comment further."

According to the Metropolitan Police, the charges relate to one woman and allegedly took place in January 2023.

Ward is best known for starring as Jamie in the British drama series Top Boy. His credits also include The Old Guard, Blue Story, Empire of Light and Eddington, which was released in cinemas on 22 August.

Prior to pursuing an acting career, he worked as a model and appeared in music videos for artists such as Lily Allen and Tom Walker.