Miami Cops Sue Damon, Affleck Over Movie

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's production company is facing a lawsuit from two Miami cops who say a "true events" crime thriller turned them into dirty officers on screen and damaged their reputations, reports Entertainment Weekly. Sergeants Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana filed a federal suit over the 2026 Netflix film The Rip co-produced by Artists Equity, the production company founded by Damon and Affleck, per Fox News. The suit, which also names Falco Pictures, alleges the movie defames them by closely mirroring their record $21.9 million cash seizure in 2016 while fabricating a storyline about theft and murder.

The movie, billed as inspired by real events, uses details that match their case but also shows narcotics officers suspected of skimming money, as well as Affleck's character killing somebody. The officers aren't named in the film but say colleagues, prosecutors, and others clearly connected them to Damon's and Affleck's characters and have questioned them about "how many buckets" they kept. (Orange buckets of illicit cash are featured in the movie, and they were found in real life, too.) Smith and Santana, who previously sought a prominent disclaimer, are seeking more than $75,000 for defamation and emotional distress. Prior to the lawsuit, producers argued that the film is clearly fictional.