- The film The Rip, starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, was released earlier this year on Netflix.
- It tells the story of two Miami-Dade police officers confronting a corruption ring.
- Two officers from the real police department are now suing for defamation.
Actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon star in the film The Rip, which was released earlier this year.
This film stars the two actors as Miami-Dade police officers who uncover a corruption ring within their department linked to $20 million from a cartel.
Recently, actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have been sued for defamation. Two officers from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana, have filed a lawsuit against the production company Artists Equity—founded by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon—in connection with this Netflix film.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the two officers claim that the characters portrayed by Affleck and Damon in the film damage their personal and professional reputations. They argue that the film, as well as its promotion, suggests inappropriate conduct, poor judgment, and unethical behavior in the context of a real police operation.
In the film, the characters played by Affleck and Damon, who portray police officers, break the rules, notably in a scene where Affleck’s character shoots and kills a DEA agent.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the plaintiffs’ attorneys argue that when they sought clarification after the film’s release in January 2026, the defendants responded that their concerns were unfounded, since the film does not explicitly mention Sergeant Smith and at no point implies that the plaintiffs committed any wrongdoing.
Beyond Fiction
In their complaint, Smith and Santana argue that a real-life operation conducted in June 2016, during which more than $21 million was seized, served as inspiration for the film, which begins with the disclaimer “inspired by true events.” Although their names do not appear in the film, they believe they are indirectly portrayed.
The court document states that the use of specific details related to the June 29, 2016, investigation, combined with the Miami-Dade setting and the depiction of a narcotics unit, would reasonably lead one to conclude that the police officers portrayed correspond to the plaintiffs.
Their Demands
Smith and Santana’s attorneys are seeking not only a formal retraction but also a public correction from the defendants to rectify what they consider to be defamatory allegations. They also want the film to include a clear and prominent disclaimer in the credits, stating that the events and characters do not reflect identifiable real persons.
In addition to these demands, the two police officers are seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the harm suffered, as well as full reimbursement of their legal fees. According to Entertainment Weekly, these measures aim to repair the damage they believe has been caused to their personal and professional reputations following the film’s release.
