Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s latest Netflix project has suddenly landed in troubling territory off-screen. Their crime drama ‘The Rip‘ generated attention for its gritty Miami storyline, but the movie is now drawing headlines for an entirely different reason.
A legal dispute involving real Miami-Dade officers has now placed the Hollywood stars and their companies under intense scrutiny. Court documents claim the film went beyond fictional storytelling and created damaging public assumptions tied to a real police operation.
‘The Rip’ Faces Legal Backlash Over Its Police Corruption Storyline
Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office officers Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana have filed a lawsuit against Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s company Artists Equity over the portrayal of law enforcement in ‘The Rip‘. The officers argue that viewers can connect them to characters in the film because the storyline closely resembles a real investigation they handled years ago.
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According to the complaint, the movie and its advertisements “imply misconduct, poor judgment, and unethical behavior in connection with a real law enforcement operation.” Smith and Santana also claim the film caused “substantial harm to their personal and professional reputations.”
The lawsuit targets Artists Equity and Falco Productions, the LLC production company linked to Affleck and Damon. Smith and Santana accuse the companies of defamation per se, defamation by implication, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Representatives for Affleck, Damon, and Artists Equity did not immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly’s request for comment after news of the lawsuit surfaced. Netflix, which released the film but is not listed as a defendant, declined to comment on the case.
Officers Say The Movie Closely Mirrors A Real Investigation
Smith and Santana argue that ‘The Rip’ borrowed heavily from a real Miami-Dade operation involving the seizure of more than $21 million in June 2016. Matt Damon plays Lt. Dane Dumars in the movie, while Ben Affleck portrays Detective Sgt. J.D. Byrne. The story follows officers who discover $20 million in cartel cash and uncover corruption inside the Miami-Dade Police Department.
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The complaint states that similarities between the real case and the movie are too specific to ignore. Their attorneys wrote that “the film’s use of unique, non-generic details of the June 29, 2016, investigation, combined with its Miami-Dade setting and portrayal of a narcotics team, creates a reasonable inference that the officers depicted are Plaintiffs.”
Several scenes in the film also became major points in the lawsuit. One sequence mentioned in the complaint involves Affleck’s character killing a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. Smith and Santana argue that fictional actions like these unfairly connect them to criminal conduct and corruption.
The officers further claim that, despite the movie opening with text stating it was “inspired by true events,” nearly all of the film’s story was fictional, “aside from the fact that a large seizure occurred.” Their lawyers insist the movie created a false public impression about the officers’ conduct.
Lawsuit Claims The Film Harmed Their Personal Lives
Smith and Santana claim the release of ‘The Rip‘ affected their lives outside work as well. According to the complaint, friends, colleagues, and even family members allegedly questioned the officers about their finances after watching the movie.
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The lawsuit states that several people suggested the officers “must have used seized funds to complete personal property improvements, purchase vehicles and vessels, and afford private schooling for their children” because of the movie’s portrayal. Their attorneys argue “that viewers are associating the Miami-Dade Police Department and Plaintiffs with the corrupt portrayals in The Rip.”
Court documents also reveal that the officers’ attorneys allegedly contacted the filmmakers before the movie premiered. The complaint states that Smith and Santana’s legal team sent a letter in December 2025 demanding that the companies “cease and desist from releasing” the film due to the allegedly defamatory content.
However, the lawsuit claims the producers responded only after Netflix released the movie in January 2026. According to the complaint, the filmmakers argued that the “concerns are unfounded because the film did not expressly name Sergeant Smith and there was no implication that the Plaintiffs engaged in any misconduct in the film.”
Smith and Santana are now demanding “a public retraction and correction,” including “the addition of a prominent disclaimer” attached to the film. The officers are also seeking compensatory and punitive damages, along with attorneys’ fees, as the legal battle against Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s companies continues.
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