Matt Damon, Ben Affleck Production Company Sued by Narcotics Officers Over Portrayal in Netflix Thriller 'The Rip'

Key Points:

• Miami-Dade narcotics officers Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana are suing Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's production companies for defamation, alleging the Netflix film "The Rip" falsely portrays them as corrupt officers involved in criminal activities.
• The lawsuit claims the film, inspired by the officers' 2016 seizure of nearly $22 million in cash hidden in orange buckets, fabricated plotlines involving police corruption, theft, cartel dealings, and murder, damaging the officers' reputations.
• Smith and Santana argue the movie closely mirrors their real case and that people familiar with the investigation have linked them to the fictional characters, leading to personal and professional distress.
• The officers had previously sent a cease-and-desist letter objecting to the film's trailer and promotional material and received an apology and consulting offer from a Miami-Dade officer involved in the film's production.
• Affleck and Damon’s production company, Artists Equity, founded in 2022, along with co-producer Falco Pictures, are named defendants in the suit filed in Florida federal court, with unspecified damages sought by the plaintiffs.