Ben Affleck and Matt Damon face backlash as cops slam ‘dirty’ film portrayal
The co-stars are facing criticism after police condemned the portrayal in their new movie
Miami-Dade police officers Jonathan Santana and Jason Smith have filed a lawsuit against Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's production company, alleging their upcoming Netflix film The Rip falsely portrays them as corrupt cops following a real-life multi-million dollar cash seizure.
According to the Hindustan Times, the lawsuit stems from the film's depiction of a 2016 Miami Lakes narcotics raid.
The operation resulted in the largest cash seizure in the county's history after authorities found over $20 million hidden in buckets.
The officers allege the film presents them in a "damaging and unfair light," tarnishing their reputations.
The complaint, filed in a Florida federal district court, claims the movie has caused "substantial harm to their personal and professional reputations".
Officer Santana said the allegedly false portrayal of corruption has directly contributed to the shift in how people now perceive and treat him.
Speaking to 7 News Miami about the verbal jabs he now receives, Santana explained, "When you rip something, you're stealing something. We never stole a dollar. Pretty much saying, you know, how many buckets of money did I steal?"
Santana's attorney, Ignacio Alvarez of Algo Law Firm, added, "They portrayed police officers as dirty; they portrayed my clients as dirty. Now their reputations are hurt."
"If an individual got paid for the story, then they should be compensated for being present," Alvarez continued.
"My clients are now hurt for the rest of their lives with everybody (perceiving) that they're dirty."
For the unversed, The Rip is an upcoming 2026 Netflix action thriller directed by Joe Carnahan. It stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as Miami-Dade police officers whose unit unravels after finding millions in cartel money. The cast also includes Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, and Kyle Chandler.
The suit seeks unspecified damages for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
It also argues the producers should have hired Santana and Smith as consultants instead of another officer who was reportedly uninvolved in the original investigation.
The case highlights the complexities of films "inspired by true events". As public figures, police officers often must prove "actual malice", meaning the filmmakers knew their depiction was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
As of now, neither Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, nor their production company, Artists Equity, have made a public statement in response to the lawsuit.
Netflix, which is not named as a defendant, has also declined to comment on the matter.