Additional Coverage:
- Miami cops sue over Matt Damon, Ben Affleck ‘true events’ film, claim it falsely paints them as corrupt (foxnews.com)
Two Miami police sergeants responsible for a landmark $22 million drug bust have filed a federal lawsuit against the makers of the 2026 film “The Rip,” alleging the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck movie falsely portrays them as corrupt officers.
The complaint targets Artists Equity, the production company founded by Damon and Affleck, as well as Falco Pictures, another producer involved with the film. Notably, Netflix, which distributed the movie, is not named in the suit.
Marketed as “inspired by true events,” “The Rip” dramatizes the Miami-Dade narcotics unit’s discovery of $21.9 million hidden behind a secret wall in orange buckets. However, the sergeants claim the film fabricates a central storyline accusing them of criminal misconduct.
In reality, the cash seizure occurred in 2016 at the residence of a gardening supply store owner suspected of involvement in a marijuana trafficking ring-marking the largest cash haul in Miami-Dade Police Department history (now Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office).
The movie, however, depicts narcotics unit members facing accusations of stealing some of the money for personal gain. It also introduces a fictional DEA agent implicated in the murder of a Miami police lieutenant, who is subsequently killed by Affleck’s character without due process.
While the film changes names and adds fictional elements, the lawsuit argues it includes enough specific details-such as the false wall, orange buckets, and a loaded Tech 9 gun found with the cash-to clearly identify and damage the reputations of Sergeants Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana, the real-life investigators behind the case.
Smith supervised the original investigation, and Santana served as lead detective before earning a sergeant promotion. Although their names do not appear in the movie, the lawsuit asserts Damon and Affleck’s characters are based on them.
Following the movie trailer’s release, one of the sergeants was reportedly contacted by a county prosecutor inquiring whether any theft allegations had ever arisen during the investigation, indicating the prosecutor’s office was reviewing the matter. Both men say they have been questioned about the number of buckets seized, alleged use of stolen funds for home improvements, and the lieutenant’s fictional murder.
The suit further alleges that the film credited a department member who had no involvement in the case, who was compensated as a consultant.
Smith and Santana seek damages exceeding $75,000, citing defamation and emotional distress. Their complaint also criticizes Hollywood’s broader pattern of negative police portrayals, noting the ongoing challenges law enforcement agencies face with recruitment and retention nationwide.
Damon and Affleck have publicly described police officers as “underappreciated” and “underfunded” in promotional interviews for the movie.
As of now, the sergeants’ legal team must file an amended complaint by tomorrow to address jurisdictional concerns raised by the court; failure to meet this deadline could result in dismissal of the case.