Actor Michael Ward Charged With Rape

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British actor Michael Ward, known largely for his role in Netflix‘s crime drama Top Boy and Steve McQueen’s British anthology film series, Small Axe, has been charged with two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault.

According to London’s Metropolitan Police, which announced the charges on Friday, a woman has accused the 27-year-old of assaulting her in January 2023, and while details of the alleged crimes have not been released, Detective Superintendent Scott Ware, whose team is leading the Met’s investigation, said in a statement, “Our specialist officers continue to support the woman who has come forward – we know investigations of this nature can have significant impact on those who make reports.”

According to BBC News, the Jamaican-born actor from  Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, said in his own statement, “I deny the charges against me entirely,” adding that he’s fully cooperating with the investigating authorities and that he is confident he will ultimately be cleared of all wrongdoing.

Ward is scheduled to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court on August 28.

While Ward is innocent until proven guilty, the Empire of Light actor — who received the British Academy Film and Television Awards’ (BAFTA) Rising Star Award in 2020 — is already feeling the fallout of the allegation. Deadline reported that it was told by an employee at his now-former agency, UK agency Olivia Bell Management, “We no longer represent him.

As is always the case when a celebrity (especially a Black male celebrity) is facing similar allegations, social media has had plenty to say about Ward and what he has been accused of, with some condemning him, some defending him and many who are discussing the larger issue of sexual violence, consent, power dynamics and the fact that rape is not about sex, or should it be equated with it.

Check out some of the reactions below.

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