Additional Coverage:
- Ben Affleck and Matt Damon hit with defamation lawsuit from Miami cops over movie The Rip (themirror.com)
Two Miami-Dade police officers have filed a lawsuit against Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and their production company over the new Netflix film, The Rip.
Officers Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana, both with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, are accusing Artists Equity and Falco Productions-the LLC behind Damon and Affleck’s project-of defamation per se, defamation by implication, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The officers claim that the film’s portrayal of law enforcement officials casts them in a negative light, damaging their personal and professional reputations. According to court documents, Damon and Affleck’s characters are so closely linked to the real officers that viewers could reasonably associate the fictional misconduct with Smith and Santana.
The Rip centers around the discovery of $20 million tied to a drug cartel and the subsequent corruption within the Miami-Dade Police Department. Although neither officer is directly named in the film-Damon plays Lt.
Dane Dumars and Affleck portrays Detective Sgt. J.D.
Byrne-the lawsuit highlights that the movie draws on a true 2016 case where Smith and Santana seized more than $21 million.
The suit points out that the movie includes specific, non-generic details from the investigation and that the Miami-Dade setting and narcotics themes contribute to the implication that the characters represent the officers. It also notes multiple instances where standard police procedures are inaccurately depicted, arguing that the claim the film was “inspired by true events” is misleading since, aside from the cash seizure, the events shown did not occur.
The officers’ lawyers say the film has caused distress, with friends and family reportedly suggesting that Smith and Santana must have used the seized funds for personal gains such as home improvements, luxury vehicles, and private schooling for their children.
The lawsuit further states that despite sending a cease-and-desist letter before the film’s release, the defendants dismissed the concerns after the movie premiered in January 2026, asserting that the film never explicitly names Smith or Santana nor implies their involvement in any wrongdoing.
The legal battle now focuses on whether The Rip’s portrayal crosses the line into defamatory territory by linking real officers to corruption and unethical behavior.