Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office officers Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana have initiated legal action against Artists Equity and Falco Productions, the production companies linked to actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. The lawsuit, filed in a South Florida courtroom, alleges that the Netflix crime drama "The Rip," which premiered in January 2026, has caused "substantial harm to their personal and professional reputations" by implying misconduct in connection with a real law enforcement operation.
"beyond the bare fact of a large cash seizure having taken place, the events depicted in the film did not happen." — Attorneys for Officers Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana
The core of the officers' complaint centers on the film's perceived close resemblance to a significant narcotics operation they conducted on June 29, 2016. During this real-world event, Smith and Santana seized over $21 million in cartel money, one of South Florida’s largest drug-related cash seizures. While "The Rip" does not explicitly name the officers, its narrative follows two Miami-Dade detectives who uncover $20 million in cartel funds and expose corruption within their own department. Affleck stars as Detective Sgt. J.D. Byrne and Damon as Lt. Dane Dumars in the film.
According to the lawsuit, reviewed by Entertainment Weekly, the omission of their names in the film is irrelevant. The complaint asserts that "unique operational details, the Miami-Dade setting, and the narcotics team framework used in the film together create... a reasonable inference connecting the fictional detectives directly to Smith and Santana." This connection, the officers argue, has led audiences to firmly associate the film's fictional misdeeds with their actual identities and professional conduct.
The plaintiffs contend that the film's portrayal suggests "misconduct, poor judgment, and unethical behavior." They highlight specific scenes as particularly damaging, including a sequence where Affleck’s character fatally shoots a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. Smith and Santana's attorneys emphasize that such an event has no basis in their real 2016 operation.
"The Rip" opens with a title card stating it is "inspired by true events." However, Smith and Santana's legal team disputes this framing, asserting in their complaint that "beyond the bare fact of a large cash seizure having taken place, the events depicted in the film did not happen." They argue that the film takes extensive creative liberties that cross the line into defamation.
The alleged damage extends beyond professional reputation into the officers' personal lives. Their attorneys claim that family members and colleagues have confronted Smith and Santana, suggesting they "must have used seized funds to complete personal property improvements, purchase vehicles and vessels, and afford private schooling for their children." These interactions, the lawsuit contends, serve as direct evidence that viewers of the fictional film are assigning its criminal behavior to the real law enforcement officers.
The officers' legal team proactively sought to prevent the film's release, sending a cease-and-desist letter to the production companies in December 2025. This letter outlined the allegedly defamatory elements and demanded that the film not be distributed. However, the production companies reportedly waited until after "The Rip" was already streaming on Netflix before responding. Their response stated that the officers' "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."
The lawsuit brings claims of defamation per se, defamation by implication, and intentional infliction of emotional distress against Artists Equity and Falco Productions. Smith and Santana are seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees. While Netflix distributed "The Rip," the streaming giant is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit and has declined to comment on the matter. Representatives for Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Artists Equity had not responded to press inquiries at the time of publication. The legal battle highlights the complex interplay between artistic freedom, factual representation, and the protection of individual reputations, especially when creative works draw inspiration from real-life events involving public servants.
