Two sergeants from the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office, Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana, have officially filed a lawsuit in Miami Federal Court against the film company Artists Equity, owned by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Filed in early May, the lawsuit concerns the movie “Split,” which the plaintiffs claim contains excessive real-life details that have negatively affected their professional reputations.
In their civil petitions, the officers seek compensation for damages, punitive sanctions, reimbursement of legal fees, and a public denial of the facts presented in the movie. In “Split,” Affleck and Damon portray law enforcement officers who discover a large sum of money in a residence — a plot inspired by a real-life case in Miami Lakes in 2016, in which over $21 million linked to possible illicit activities was uncovered.
Artists Equity declined to comment to media outlets. However, in response to a demand letter dated March 19, the company’s attorney, Leita Walker, stated that the film does not claim to accurately depict specific events or individuals, as evidenced by the disclaimer and credits accompanying the movie.
Although the plaintiffs’ names are not mentioned in the film, they assert that their professional roles are clearly projected onto the corresponding characters. The lawsuit also highlights that the storylines create an impression among colleagues and family members of the plaintiffs’ potential involvement in illegal activities, including conspiracy to steal, murder, cartel associations, arson, and breaches of duty protocols.
According to attorney Walker, the plaintiffs have failed to identify specific characters as their representatives, rendering the association between real people and the movie’s fictional characters unsubstantiated. “Split” was released on Netflix in January of this year and currently holds a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.