Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Deputies Jonathan Santana and Jason Smith are suing Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s production company Artists Equity over the Netflix film ‘The Rip’.Deputies say the film, inspired by a 2016 South Florida drug bust, damaged their reputation by making viewers think real officers stole money from the case. Santana says the allegations began after the movie dropped in January.
‘The Rip’ case against Artists Equity
According to TMZ, the lawsuit was filed against Damon and Affleck’s production company, Artists Equity. NBC 7News reported Santana’s comments, saying, “When you rip something off, you’re stealing something. We have never stolen a dollar.’Santana and Smith allegedly helped crack a Miami Lakes drug case in 2016. The bust netted more than $20 million. The lawsuit alleges that the Netflix film used the true case as inspiration but unfairly harmed the officers involved.Deputies say ‘The Rip’ portrays officers as corrupt. Santana said she has faced accusations of embezzling money since the movie hit Netflix in January.
Miami-Dade deputies claim reputational damage
Santana’s lawyer, Ignacio Alvarez, said the film damaged his client’s name. He told NBC 7News, “They portrayed the police as dirty, they portrayed my clients as dirty.”The lawsuit also claims that Santana and Smith should have been paid as consultants because of their connection to the original case. According to the lawsuit, the producers used another police officer as a consultant, although that officer reportedly did not work on the bust.Deputies say the decision added to the damage. They argued that the film was based on their case but left them out of the process. They also claim that the production did not protect their reputation while telling a story inspired by their work.‘The Rip’ stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and is linked to a South Florida drug bust. The lawsuit now puts the film’s real-life inspiration at the center of a legal battle.Artists Equity is suing alleging the movie misrepresented real Miami-Dade officers and caused permanent damage to their public image.
