A London court was told that award‑winning actor Michael Ward is alleged to have raped and sexually assaulted a woman shortly after they met in a bar in 2023.
The 28‑year‑old actor, known for his leading roles in the film Blue Story and the Netflix series Top Boy, is accused of perpetrating the alleged assault inside a vehicle.
During the opening day of the trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, the complainant testified that she felt numb and scared throughout the alleged assaults and recalled wanting the ordeal to end.
He denies two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault, maintaining that any sexual activity was consensual.
The alleged victim stated that she first met the actor at a nightclub party in north‑east London. She said she was aware of his television and film work and felt flattered when he requested her Snapchat handle.
She was invited to the rear of his friend’s Mercedes, where they kissed and she consented to his intimate touching, according to trial testimony.
The court subsequently heard that the actor invited the victim and her friends to a separate after‑party at another venue. It was near that location, inside a car, that the alleged rape and sexual assault occurred.
In a police interview, the alleged victim recounted, “I tried to leave the vehicle and he told me to close the door.”
After his arrest, Ward—who appeared in court on Monday wearing a blue shirt and burgundy tie—issued a statement to police, saying, “I deny the allegation of rape. I want to make it clear that we engaged in consensual foreplay and consensual sex.”
The Jamaican‑born, London‑raised actor earned a BAFTA Rising Star award in 2020 after gaining recognition for his roles as gang leader Jamie in Top Boy and Marco in Blue Story, which portray rivalry in south‑London neighborhoods.
The trial is ongoing.
