Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are facing a defamationlawsuit from Miamipolice officers over their NetflixcrimethrillerThe Rip. The film, which hit the streaming platform in January, has sparked a heated reputation battle after officers involved in the real-life 2016 Miami Lakes narcotics raid claim the movie unfairly portrays them as corrupt. Damon and Affleck star as police officers in the Miami-Dade Police Department narcotics unit in the movie.
According to Page Six, the plot is inspired by the 2016 raid, which became the largest cash seizure in Miami-Dade history after officers recovered over $24 million. But now, multiple officers who participated in that operation are suing Affleck and Damon’s production company, Artists Equity, arguing the film has permanently damaged their reputations.
Jonathan Santana, a deputy with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, spoke out about the fallout from the movie. “When you rip something, you’re stealing something. We never stole a dollar,” he said. Since the film’s release, Santana says he’s been mocked and accused of theft. “Pretty much saying, you know, how many buckets of money did I steal?” he said.
The cops are fighting for their reputations
Santana’s attorney, Ignacio Alvarez, was even more direct. “They portrayed police officers as dirty, they portrayed my clients as dirty. Now their reputations are hurt,” Alvarez said. He added that the officers will carry this stigma for the rest of their lives, with people now assuming they’re corrupt. So far, neither Affleck nor Damon has responded to requests for comment…