Hollywood stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are facing legal action after several Miami-Dade police officers accused their Netflix crime thriller The Rip of falsely portraying them as corrupt officers involved in theft and cartel activity.
The lawsuit, filed against the actors’ production company Artists Equity, claims the movie caused “serious reputational damage” to the real officers connected to the 2016 Miami Lakes narcotics raid that inspired the film.
Released on Netflix in January 2026, The Rip stars Damon and Affleck as narcotics detectives who uncover millions of dollars hidden inside a cartel stash house. As suspicion spreads among the officers, the team begins turning on each other amid allegations of corruption and stolen money.
According to the lawsuit, the real-life deputies involved in the original operation argue the film goes far beyond fictional drama and strongly implies they were “dirty cops” who stole cash during the investigation.
Real Officers Say Movie Crossed the Line
Deputies Jonathan Santana and Jason Smith, who participated in the real 2016 drug bust, claim viewers have linked them directly to the fictional characters in the film.
Santana reportedly said people have mocked him since the movie’s release, asking how much money he allegedly stole during the raid.
“When you rip something, you’re stealing something. We never stole a dollar,” Santana told local media.
Their attorney, Ignacio Alvarez, argued the film portrayed the officers as corrupt criminals and permanently damaged their professional reputations.
The complaint alleges the movie fabricated scenes involving police corruption, cartel cooperation, deception, and even murder, despite no such accusations ever being made against the real officers.
What Is The Rip Based On?
The Rip was inspired by a real Miami-Dade narcotics investigation in 2016 that resulted in one of the largest cash seizures in South Florida history. Authorities reportedly uncovered more than $20 million hidden behind walls during a raid connected to a money laundering operation.
The film was directed by Joe Carnahan and became one of Netflix’s biggest crime thrillers of 2026. The project reunited Affleck and Damon both on screen and behind the scenes through their production company Artists Equity.
Despite the movie opening with a disclaimer stating it was “inspired by true events,” the officers claim that warning was not enough to separate fiction from reality. The lawsuit argues audiences could still easily connect the characters to the actual deputies involved in the case.
Officers Seeking Damages and Public Retraction
The deputies are seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney fees, and a public retraction tied to the movie’s depiction of the case.
The lawsuit also reportedly demands a more prominent disclaimer clarifying that many of the film’s events were fictionalized for entertainment purposes.
Neither Affleck, Damon, nor Netflix have publicly commented on the lawsuit at the time of writing.
