Matt Damon & Ben Affleck Sued For The Rip

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Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are in trouble with the police.

In the crime thriller The Rip, Miami detectives Lieutenant Dane Dumars and Sergeant J.D. Byrne discover millions of dollars in drug money hidden in a warehouse. They’re told to guard the money, but the pressure quickly causes friction and their situation spirals out of control.

The new Netflix crime thriller, The Rip, starring and produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, was generally well-received by critics. Despite its success, the film sparked controversy when two Miami-Dade police officers sued, claiming it harmed their reputations with its depiction of law enforcement.

Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana are suing Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s production companies, Artists Equity and Falco Productions, according to Entertainment Weekly. The lawsuit claims characters in their film, The Rip, are clearly based on Smith and Santana, damaging their reputations. Although the characters aren’t named, the complaint alleges viewers recognize them as the inspiration, resulting in negative consequences for the plaintiffs.

As a huge movie fan, I was shocked to read about this lawsuit! Apparently, Damon and Affleck are being accused of some serious claims – defamation, basically damaging someone’s reputation – in connection with their film, The Rip. Specifically, Smith and Santana are saying the movie implies they and the sheriff’s department acted unethically, which they feel has really hurt their image. It sounds like they’re claiming the film intentionally caused them emotional distress because of these implications.

The lawsuit claims the movie The Rip depicts police officers breaking rules, citing a scene where Ben Affleck’s character kills a DEA agent. While the film states it’s based on a true story, the complaint argues it significantly deviates from the facts and embellishes events.

The lawyers for Smith and Santana argue that the Netflix film has harmed not just their clients, but also their wider circle of family and friends. They state that after the film came out, people began to question how Smith and Santana were able to afford things like home improvements, new cars, boats, and private school tuition. The lawsuit claims these suspicions are a direct result of the dishonest behavior shown by the officers in The Rip.

Legal documents show that the lawyers for Smith and Santana reached out to Damon and Affleck in December 2025, before the film was released, requesting a delay. They believed the movie contained false and damaging statements. After the film, titled The Rip, came out in January 2026, Damon and Affleck responded to the complaints, stating that the movie didn’t directly accuse them of any wrongdoing and therefore the claims weren’t justified.

As of today, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and their production company, Artists Equity, haven’t publicly addressed the lawsuit. Netflix has also chosen not to comment on the matter.

The Rip is currently available to stream on Netflix.

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2026-05-11 00:28