Miami Officers Sue Damon and Affleck Over Film
Two Miami police officers have initiated legal action against Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, claiming that their portrayals in the Netflix film The Rip misrepresent their stories.
The lawsuit was brought by Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. They allege that their experiences were used as inspiration for the film’s narrative, according to a report.
While neither officer is named directly in the film, the lawsuit contends that the characters played by Damon and Affleck closely resemble them. The portrayal, the officers argue, inflicts “significant harm to their personal and professional reputations,” as the film’s content implies “misconduct, poor judgment, and unethical actions related to actual law enforcement events.”
The complaint, as reviewed, accuses Artist Equity and the production company of Damon and Affleck, Falco Productions, of serious defamation and also claims intentional infliction of emotional distress.
In The Rip, Damon and Affleck portray Lt. Dane Dumars and Sergeant Johnson, who uncover a staggering $20 million tied to cartel operations, revealing a troubling web of corruption within the police department.
The lawsuit points out that the case inspiring the film involved Smith and Santana seizing over $21 million in June 2016. As a result, they argue that the film’s distinctive elements about the investigation, along with its Miami-Dade backdrop, lead viewers to reasonably infer that the officers depicted are, in fact, them.
A specific scene highlighted in the lawsuit features Affleck’s character killing a DEA agent, with the officers also criticizing various instances in the film where characters violate police procedural rules for personal gain.
The film opens with a disclaimer, but Smith and Santana are requesting not just a “public retraction and correction,” but also a more prominent disclaimer. Additionally, they are seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, along with attorney’s fees.
Since the film’s debut, Smith and Santana have claimed that it suggests their families “must have used the seized funds for personal improvements, vehicles, watercraft, and private schooling for their children.” They argue that the film’s depiction led the audience to draw such associations.
The attorney for the defendants responded to the lawsuit in January 2026, after the film’s release, insisting that the concerns are baseless because Sergeant Smith’s name is not mentioned in the film, nor is there any implication of illegal activity attributed to the plaintiffs.
