Cops sue Affleck and Damon's production company over 'The Rip'

Two Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Office officers, Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana, have filed a lawsuit against the production company Artists Equity, run by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, over the film "The Rip," a crime drama released on Netflix in January and directed by Joe Carnahan.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Smith and Santana claim that the characters played by Affleck and Damon in the film have caused "significant damage to their personal and professional reputations" because the film and its marketing, they say, "imply misconduct, poor judgment, and unethical conduct in connection with a real-life police operation."

The film "The Rip" follows the characters played by Damon and Affleck - Lieutenant Dana Dumars and Detective Sergeant JD Byrne, members of the Miami police force who uncover corruption within their own ranks connected to $20 million in cartel money.

The lawsuit alleges that a real-life case from June 2016, in which Smith and Santana seized more than $21 million, served as inspiration for the film, which begins with a note that it is "inspired by true events." While their names are not used in the film, it claims that specific details of the investigation, location, and depiction of the narcotics team suggest that the characters depicted are in fact them.

According to the lawsuit, the film features police characters behaving inappropriately, including in a scene in which Affleck's character kills a DEA agent. It also alleges that the plaintiffs' lawyers contacted the production company after its January 2026 release, and the company responded that "the allegations are baseless" and that the film does not imply any misconduct by real people.

Lawyers for Smith and Santana are now demanding a public retraction and apology, including the addition of a clear disclaimer to the film. They are also seeking damages, punitive damages and attorneys' fees.