British actor Micheal Ward, a BAFTA winner known for his roles in “Top Boy,” “Empire of Light” and “The Book of Clarence,” has been charged with two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault for alleged incidents involving an unidentified woman in 2023.
The charges were announced on Friday by London’s Metropolitan Police.
The 27-year-old actor, who has reportedly cooperated with authorities throughout their investigation, maintains his innocence.
“I deny the charges against me entirely,” Ward said in a statement to the BBC, adding he had full faith his name would be cleared.
While exact details of the allegations remain unclear, deputy chief prosecutor Catherine Baccas confirmed to The Independent that after carefully reviewing the evidence, the Metropolitan Police were authorized to charge the Jamaica-born star with two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault.
In the wake of the charges, the actor has been dropped by his U.K. agency, Deadline confirmed Friday. He appears to still be represented by Creative Artists Agency in the United States.
Ward is scheduled to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court in London on Aug. 28, a week after his new movie, “Eddington,” is due to be released in the U.K. The film, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone, premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
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