Miami Officers File Defamation Lawsuit Against Ben Affleck, Matt Damon Over The Rip Storyline

Actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are facing a lawsuit over claims that their 2026 Netflix crime drama The Rip defamed two real-life law enforcement officers.

According to a lawsuit filed by Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office officers Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana, the film allegedly portrays fictional police characters in a way that viewers could associate with the plaintiffs, causing “substantial harm to their personal and professional reputations.”

The officers sued Affleck and Damon’s production company, Artists Equity, along with Falco Productions, alleging defamation per se, defamation by implication, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The lawsuit centers on The Rip, a crime drama written and directed by Joe Carnahan. The film follows a group of Miami narcotics officers who discover millions in hidden cash, sparking internal conflict and distrust.

Affleck stars as Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne, while Damon portrays Lieutenant Dane Dumars in the fictional Miami-Dade Police Department narcotics unit.

According to court filings cited by Entertainment Weekly, Smith and Santana claim the movie draws heavily from a real June 29, 2016, incident in which the officers seized more than $21 million during an investigation.

Although the officers are not named in the film, the lawsuit alleges that the “use of unique, non-generic details of the June 29, 2016, investigation, combined with its Miami-Dade setting and portrayal of a narcotics team, creates a reasonable inference that the officers depicted are Plaintiffs.”

The complaint further claims several scenes portray officers engaging in misconduct and unethical behavior. One scene specifically cited in the lawsuit allegedly shows Affleck’s character killing a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent.

Smith and Santana argue that the film’s portrayal has led family members, friends, and colleagues to believe they “must have used seized funds to complete personal property improvements, purchase vehicles and vessels, and afford private schooling for their children.”

According to the lawsuit, the officers’ attorneys sent a cease-and-desist letter to the filmmakers in December 2025, demanding they halt the release of the movie over allegedly defamatory content.

The plaintiffs claim the defendants responded after the film’s January 2026 release by arguing that the “concerns are unfounded because the film did not expressly name Sergeant Smith and there was no implication that the Plaintiffs engaged in any misconduct in the film.”

Smith and Santana are seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney fees, and “a public retraction and correction,” including “the addition of a prominent disclaimer” to the film.

News of the lawsuit against Affleck and Damon sparked mixed reactions online, with some users defending artistic freedom while others argued filmmakers should be careful when drawing inspiration from real-life police cases.

“It’s a movie, entertainment, not to be taken seriously in so much as it’s the truth and nothing but the truth. Creative license and all that. The bottom line is they will do what it takes to keep it interesting,” wrote Dianne Brooks.

Others sided with the officers behind the lawsuit. “If doing a movie that comes from real life you need to make sure it is correct and not taken out of context or twisted into something that actually didn’t happen. If this happened then I don’t blame them for suing,” wrote Sabrina.

Another user questioned the legal claims altogether, writing, “Getting sued for making a movie fictional is wild.”