LONDON — Actor Micheal Ward was acquitted of all charges related to a 2023 sexual assault case following a 10-day trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London on July 10, 2026. A jury returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault.

The charges stemmed from an alleged incident with a woman in the back of a Mercedes in London in January 2023. Ward met the woman at a New Year's Day party in Ilford, east London.

Ward denied the charges throughout the trial. He told jurors the pair had been "friendly and flirty" during the evening and insisted she had been "a willing participant in everything that was going on." In court, Ward said, "It was what we wanted. There was mutual interest."

The defense argued that forensic examinations of the complainant's clothing found no blood, contradicting her recollection. Actor Jasmine Jobson described Ward as "my brother" and said she had been "in total shock" upon learning of the allegations. Jobson told jurors she had always known Ward to be "a beautiful soul" and "a kind-hearted man."

Judge Dean ordered YouTuber Murad Merali to remove videos commenting on evidence and to leave the courthouse. Merali had posted videos discussing the complainant's cross-examination and expressing opinions about her credibility. The attorney general was alerted to consider whether Merali's posts constituted contempt of court.

Solicitor Humzah Ilyas issued a statement on behalf of Ward after the verdict. "Micheal Ward is enormously grateful to the members of the jury for taking the time to examine the evidence in this case with such care," Ilyas said. "As he maintained throughout this case, this was a consensual sexual encounter. The jury agreed and cleared him of all wrongdoing."

"It has been three and a half years since the police started investigating this matter, during which time Micheal's life, as well as his successful career, has been put on hold," Ilyas said. "Micheal is thankful this process has now reached a conclusion. He looks forward to getting back to the doing work he loves and focusing on the future." Ilyas added, "As he starts to rebuild his life, Micheal would like to acknowledge those who have experienced sexual violence and abuse. They deserve to be heard, treated with compassion, and have their allegations taken seriously."

Ward, 28, won the Rising Star award at the British Academy Film Awards in 2020. He has appeared in the Netflix crime drama "Top Boy," the film "Blue Story," and "The Book of Clarence." Ward also appeared in the film "Eddington" alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal. He was nominated for a BAFTA acting award for "Empire of Light" and a BAFTA television award for the series "Small Axe."