‘We never stole a dollar’ say Miami cops suing Damon and Affleck as their Netflix movie sparks a reputation war
Reel vs. real.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are facing a defamation lawsuit from Miami police officers over their Netflix crime thriller The Rip. The film, which hit the streaming platform in January, has sparked a heated reputation battle after officers involved in the real-life 2016 Miami Lakes narcotics raid claim the movie unfairly portrays them as corrupt. Damon and Affleck star as police officers in the Miami-Dade Police Department narcotics unit in the movie.
According to Page Six, the plot is inspired by the 2016 raid, which became the largest cash seizure in Miami-Dade history after officers recovered over $24 million. But now, multiple officers who participated in that operation are suing Affleck and Damon’s production company, Artists Equity, arguing the film has permanently damaged their reputations.
Jonathan Santana, a deputy with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, spoke out about the fallout from the movie. “When you rip something, you’re stealing something. We never stole a dollar,” he said. Since the film’s release, Santana says he’s been mocked and accused of theft. “Pretty much saying, you know, how many buckets of money did I steal?” he said.
The cops are fighting for their reputations
Santana’s attorney, Ignacio Alvarez, was even more direct. “They portrayed police officers as dirty, they portrayed my clients as dirty. Now their reputations are hurt,” Alvarez said. He added that the officers will carry this stigma for the rest of their lives, with people now assuming they’re corrupt. So far, neither Affleck nor Damon has responded to requests for comment.
This isn’t the first time The Rip has stirred controversy. The movie was primarily filmed in Hialeah, Florida, and the city’s mayor, Bryan Calvo, publicly criticized it in January saying it falsely painted Hialeah as an unsafe city. “This movie is a slap in the face to our law enforcement personnel,” Calvo said.
“If you have never been to Hialeah, if you live somewhere else in this country and you see this film, I wouldn’t want to come here, and that’s a problem.” He also pointed out that the real events depicted in the movie actually took place in Miami Lakes, not Hialeah.
The case delves much deeper into the allegations of harm caused
The lawsuit itself, filed by officers Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana, goes even deeper into the alleged harm caused by the film. According to legal documents reviewed by Complex, the officers argue that The Rip presents itself as “inspired by true events” but depicts law enforcement engaging in “criminal misconduct.”
They claim the movie incorporates “distinctive elements” of the real 2016 investigation they were part of, making it clear to viewers that the characters are based on them though the film uses fictional names. The lawsuit states, “Although the film uses fictionalized names, it unmistakably identifies the Miami-Dade Police Department.”
It also alleges that the case in the movie closely mirrors the 2016 drug-money seizure operation. Since the film’s release, the officers say family members and colleagues have made comments suggesting they must have used seized funds for personal expenses, like home improvements, vehicles, boats, and even private schooling for their children.
Smith and Santana are demanding a public retraction, a prominent disclaimer added to the film, and financial compensation for the damage done. They’re seeking “compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees.” However, the lawsuit has already hit a snag. A judge ruled that the officers have until May 12 to file an amended complaint due to issues with the original filing.
The Rip has become a flashpoint in how true crime stories are adapted for the big screen
The film also stars Steven Yeun and Kyle Chandler, and while it’s clearly labeled as “inspired by true events,” the line between fact and fiction has blurred in a way that’s now causing real-world consequences. For the officers involved, the movie isn’t just entertainment. It’s a reputational nightmare that they say has already altered how people see them. The question now is whether the legal system will agree that The Rip crossed a line.
Defamation lawsuits involving films and TV shows are notoriously tricky, especially when the work is based on real events but includes fictionalized elements. Courts often give creators some leeway when it comes to artistic interpretation, but the officers’ lawsuit argues that this went beyond creative license. They claim the film doesn’t just take inspiration from reality but actively misrepresents it in a way that harms their careers and personal lives.
For now, the officers are waiting to see if their amended complaint will move forward. If it does, the case could set an interesting precedent for how much responsibility filmmakers have when adapting real-life events. In the meantime, Damon and Affleck’s production company, Artists Equity, along with Damon’s LLC, Falco Productions, are facing a legal battle that could drag on for months or even years.
The Rip has already left a mark, and not just on the box office. For the Miami officers at the center of this controversy, the fallout is just beginning. Whether the film’s portrayal of them as “dirty cops” will stick in the public’s mind remains to be seen. If the court sides with them, it could force the filmmakers and Netflix to make changes to the project or at least add a disclaimer that distances the story from the real officers involved.
(Featured image: Nomoretitanic)
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