Friends of Nolan Wells, the Black college student who died after going missing during a Fourth of July celebration earlier this year, are suing Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens for defamation after the former NFL star called for their arrest.
The group also sued other content creators and intends to sue Rev. Al Sharpton and The View cohost Sunny Hostin for comments they made about Wells’ death, according to a story from the Associated Press on Tuesday, October 6.
Because the three friends are under 21, their fathers filed the lawsuit on their behalf.
Owens, 52, is facing heat because he posted via X, “ARREST THEM IMMEDIATELY! Like, yesterday,” days after Wells’ death when a Mississippi grand jury declined to recommend charges against them. His post also linked to a video that accused the three of killing Wells, who was 18, and tampering with his phone.
“Due to the conduct of Owens and many other less-famous individuals, these completely innocent young men have been subjected to thousands of death threats, face-to-face harassment, and daily fear and ridicule from complete strangers. They’ve even been refused service at public establishments. Their lives, and the lives of their family members, will never be the same,” the lawsuit reads, according to The Guardian.
Wells went missing from a July 4 party on an island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He was found dead two days later.
The district attorney’s office wrote via Facebook at the time that Wells’ death was “consistent with drowning.” But an autopsy report, whose full results were not made public, found bruising on the back of his head, and an independent report commissioned by Wells’ family found the same. The family also alleges that Wells’ airways and stomach were devoid of water, which would seem to debunk the theory that he drowned.
During the early days of the investigation, social media users began widely speculating that there was a racial factor in Wells’ death after a photo emerged of the teen surrounded by white friends on their boat.
Two of the friends suing Owens were targeted online for appearing in the photo. The third called Wells’ mother and the Coast Guard to report him missing.
Wells’ friends allege they decided to leave the island at around 3 p.m. that day as the boat was taking on water, but Wells elected to stay behind to talk to a girl — something else his family disputes.
Owens, who has over 1 million followers on X, also pledged $25,000 to a reward fund for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Wells’ death.
“Not only is he defaming them, he’s basically saying to the mob, get your pitchforks, get your torches,” Edward Paltzik, the defamation and media attorney representing the three friends, told the AP.
