Miami cops sue Ben Affleck and Matt Damon over alleged reputation damage in The Rip
Miami-Dade officers Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana have sued Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's firm over The Rip. They claim that the film's framing as a true story, combined with its depiction of fictional conduct, has damaged their reputations.
Two officers with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana, have filed a lawsuit against Artists Equity, the production company founded by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, over The Rip, the Joe Carnahan-directed crime drama released in January 2026.
The officers allege that the characters portrayed by Affleck and Damon have caused them “substantial harm to their personal and professional reputations,” claiming that the Netflix film and its promotional material “imply misconduct, poor judgment and unethical behaviour in connection with a real law enforcement operation," as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
The lawsuit claims that the film was inspired by a real case from June 2016, in which Smith and Santana seized more than $21 million, and highlights the opening text stating that the film was “inspired by true events.”
Although the two officers are not named in the film, their lawyers are seeking "a public retraction and correction", including "the addition of a prominent disclaimer" to the film. They are also seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages and attorney's fees, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The Rip features Damon as Lieutenant Dane Dumars and Affleck as Detective Sergeant JD Byrne, two officers in the Miami-Dade Police Department who uncover corruption within their ranks linked to $20 million in cartel cash. The cast also includes Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle and Kyle Chandler. In the film, the two central law enforcement characters bend the rules, including in one scene in which Affleck’s character kills a DEA agent.
In their lawsuit, Smith and Santana say 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."
The officers' lawyers said the defendants responded to their concerns after the film’s release in January 2026, stating 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," as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
Damon and Affleck are yet to address the claims made by the Miami officers.
The Rip released on Netflix on January 16, 2026.