London British actor Michelle Ward was granted bail on Thursday after appearing in a central London court to face charges of rape and sexual assault.
The 27-year-old, who starred in the Netflix crime drama “Top Boy,” faces two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
The offenses reportedly occurred in January 2023. The charges relate to one woman.
Ward appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court, where he confirmed his name, address and date of birth during a brief hearing. He did not enter any pleas and was granted conditional bail for his next appearance at Snaresbrook Crown Court in north-east London on September 25.
His bail is not to contact the alleged victim.
Ward denied the allegations. He previously said in a statement that he had “full faith” his name would be cleared in court.
Ward has appeared in films including “The Blue Story,” “The Book of Clarence,” and the recently released American political satire “Eddington,” alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal.
In 2020, he won the Rising Star Award at the British Academy Film Awards, or BAFTAs. He was nominated for a BAFTA for Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light and a BAFTA Television Award for the Steve McQueen-directed series The Little Axe.
