Inside ‘The Rip’ Controversy: Why Matt Damon, Ben Affleck are getting sued over Netflix’s cop movie
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's 'The Rip' is in hot water. The gritty Netflix thriller starring the two Hollywood heavyweights was hit with a new lawsuit accusing the film of defacing the real people who allegedly served as inspiration for the film. Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana, officers in the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, are suing the Artists Equity, the actors' company, over the portrayal of law enforcement characters in the actioner. It is worth noting that Smith and Santana aren't mentioned by name in the film; however, the lawsuit claims that the two characters are associated with Damon and Affleck.
Per EW, the portrayal, according to the lawsuit, has caused "substantial harm to their personal and professional reputations" because the movie and its adverts "imply misconduct, poor judgment, and unethical behavior in connection with a real law enforcement operation." The report also added that the officers have brought forth a claim for "intentional infliction of emotional distress." At the time of writing, reps for the two actors and Netflix (not named as a defendant) have declined to comment on the issue. The complaint claimed that "the film's use of unique, non-generic details of the June 29, 2016, investigation, combined with its Miami-Dade setting and portrayal of a narcotics team, creates a reasonable inference that the officers depicted are Plaintiffs."
The report further added that Smith and Santana's lawyers have demanded a public retraction and correction, while also including "the addition of a prominent disclaimer" to the movie. The two officers are also seeking compensatory damages. In 'The Rip,' Affleck and Damon play Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne and Lieutenant Dane Dumars, respectively. Their characters bend the rules, such as in one scene where Affleck’s Byrne kills a DEA agent. The Netflix film was inspired by the true story of Miami-Dade County Police Captain Chris Casiano and follows a group of police officers who, during a raid on a stash house, battle trust issues as team members suspect each other of stealing a large sum of money.
Starring alongside Damon and Affleck are Steven Yeun as Detective Mike Ro, Teyana Taylor as Detective Numa Baptiste, Sasha Calle as Desi, Catalina Sandino Moreno as Detective Lolo Salazar, Scott Adkins, Kyle Chandler as DEA Agent Mateo ‘Matty’ Nix, Néstor Carbonell, and Lina Esco as Jackie Velez. 'The Rip' was one of the first of Damon's projects for 2026, as he is also set to play the lead in Christopher Nolan's much-anticipated epic, 'The Odyssey', which will arrive in theaters on July 17. Affleck is currently starring in and directing his next feature titled 'Animals.'
