Top Boy actor charged with two counts of rape

Top Boy actor Micheal Ward has been charged with two counts of rape and is due to appear in court next month.

Ward, 27, has also been charged with two counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault. The offences relate to one woman and are reported to have taken place in January 2023.

"Our specialist officers continue to support the woman who has come forward - we know investigations of this nature can have a significant impact on those who make reports," said Detective Superintendent Scott Ware, whose team is leading the Met Police's investigation. Ward, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, is due to appear at Thames Magistrates' Court on 28 August, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

Ward said he denies the charges of rape and sexual assault, adding in a statement: "I recognise that proceedings are now ongoing, and I have full faith that they will lead to my name being cleared." In a statement, Catherine Baccas, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London South, said: "We remind all concerned that proceedings against the suspect are active and he has a right to a fair trial. "It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings." Ward starred in the popular Netflix series Top Boy as Jamie.

He also appeared in films like Blue Story, The Old Guard and Empire of Light. In 2020, the Jamaican-born actor was awarded the Bafta Rising Star honour in 2020.

Read more from Sky News:Teenagers jailed for 15 years for machete murderHome Office threaten asylum seekers with homelessness He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor Bafta in 2021 for his role as Franklyn in the BBC series Small Axe, and 2022 for his performance as Stephen in Empire of Light. Ward is also in the upcoming American film Eddington alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal, which is set to be released in the UK next month.

He has more than a million followers on Instagram and participated in charity events like the Soccer Aid match at Stamford Bridge last year. Ward gave a reading at the Christmas Eve carol service hosted by the Princess of Wales in 2023..