Top Boy Star Michael Ward reportedly broke down in tears in court on Friday after being acquitted of raping a woman.
The 28-year-old, who won the 2020 BAFTA Rising Star Award, denied two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The allegations came from a woman he met at an east London nightclub in January 2023. She claimed the star attacked her in the back of a car.
A jury acquitted him of all charges after a two-week trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London, according to BBC News. Ward, also known for his roles in Ari Aster Eddington And the movie Blue story“Everything we did was completely consensual,” he said.
During the trial, the actor told the jury he thought they were “having a good time”, believing the woman “was very nice… She was exchanging energy. She was bringing me closer. To me, it was an engaging act and we were enjoying that moment.” Ward added that she “never mentioned anything about wanting to leave.”
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared visibly emotional as she gave a different account, according to the BBC. She “would never have gotten in the car with her,” she told the jury [Ward]”If she knew what was going to happen and that she ‘completely shut down.'” She said she told Ward she wanted to leave “on several occasions.”
The actor reportedly became emotional as each count was read, and burst into tears when he was acquitted of all charges.
The young Jamaican-born star is best known for his role as ‘Jimmy’ in the BAFTA award-winning Netflix film Top Boy. In 2020, he was honored with the British Academy’s Rising Star Award. In 2022, the drama starred Sam Mendes Empire of Lightand received a BAFTA nomination in the Supporting Actor category.
Earlier this year, he joined Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, and Austin Butler on the red carpet at Cannes for the premiere of Aster’s latest neo-western black comedy. EddingtonIn which Ward played the role of police officer Michael.
