Micheal Ward acquitted of assault and sexual assault

Actor Micheal Ward was acquitted on Friday, July 10, 2026, of all charges related to an alleged sexual assault that occurred in early 2023. A jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London found the 28-year-old not guilty of two counts of assault, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault following a two-week trial.

The charges stemmed from an encounter with a woman after a New Year's party in Gants Hill, east London, on January 2, 2023. The prosecution alleged that Ward sexually assaulted the woman in the back of a Mercedes after they met outside the venue. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, testified that she would never have entered the car if she had known what would happen, stated she told Ward she needed to leave on multiple occasions, and said she "completely shut down" during the incident.

Ward maintained throughout the trial that the encounter was entirely consensual. Testifying in his own defense, the actor said he and the woman had flirted throughout the evening, exchanged contact details, and later met by a car. He described the interaction as one where they were "having a great time," and stated she was actively participating....