Three friends of Nolan Wells have filed a defamation lawsuit against former NFL star Terrell Owens, accusing the Hall of Famer of falsely linking them to the teenager’s death.
Wells, an 18-year-old Black college student, was found floating in the water on July 6 after he and his friends took a boat trip near Horn Island, off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, to celebrate the Fourth of July.
A Jackson County grand jury determined last month that the teenager’s death was “consistent with drowning” and rejected claims that the incident was “racially motivated.”
Wells’s friends—Morgan Seymour, Jax Pitalo and Warren Hudson—have now brought a defamation case against Owens.
The fathers of Seymour, Pitalo and Hudson filed the federal lawsuit on their behalf Monday. The three friends are under 21 and are considered minors under Mississippi law.
According to the lawsuit obtained by The Daily Mail, the friends accuse the 52-year-old Owens of defaming them in a post on X that stated: “ARREST THEM IMMEDIATELY!!”
Three friends of Nolan Wells have sued former NFL player Terrell Owens for defamation
Wells’s body was discovered after the 18-year-old football player and his friends went boating near Horn Island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast during their Fourth of July celebration. Source: ChristineWonsley/Facebook
The post also linked to an Instagram video that, according to the lawsuit, suggested the three friends had killed Wells and tampered with his phone. Owens shared it days after the grand jury declined to recommend charges in connection with Wells’s death.
Owens, who has 1.2 million followers on X, had previously pledged $25,000 to a reward fund for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
The Daily Mail contacted Owens and SMAC Entertainment, which identifies itself on its website as his management company, but neither responded immediately.
“This action concerns his devastating and far-reaching defamatory statement about Plaintiffs in a false and malicious social media post published by Owens on X.com,” the lawsuit states.
The filing continues: “Nolan’s death was accidental and involved no criminal activity. Yet, since that fateful and tragic day, conspiracy theorists, grifters, hoax peddlers, and other modern-day hucksters and plain liars have perpetuated the disgusting and false narrative that Warren, Jax, and Morgan somehow murdered Nolan and covered up this supposed heinous crime.
“These bad actors have acted on a variety of motives, including their need to identify and attack Girardian scapegoats, to garner social media clicks for profit and, in some instances, outright racism. Owens is one such bad actor, and one of the most famous such individuals.”
The lawsuit against Owens is one of several defamation claims the friends filed this week against online content creators.
They had also indicated that they intended to sue the Rev. Al Sharpton and Sunny Hostin, a co-host of “The View,” over comments they made while discussing Wells’s death.
Wells’s death attracted national attention, as his grieving family called for an investigation despite law enforcement’s determination that there was no evidence of foul play. Source: ChristineWonsley/Facebook
Wells’s friends Morgan Seymour, Jax Pitalo and Warren Hudson have sued Owens for defamation
The three friends are seeking a jury trial, along with compensatory and punitive damages.
Their complaint says they have endured “mental anguish, emotional distress, humiliation, and fear for their physical safety and that of their families,” including harm caused by death threats, in-person harassment and public ridicule.
‘Not only is he defaming them, he’s basically saying to the mob, get your pitchforks, get your torches,’ said Edward Paltzik, a defamation and media attorney representing the three friends.
Owens played 15 seasons in the NFL for teams including the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals.
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The three were part of a group of 30 friends, including Wells, who rode to Horn Island on three boats on the Fourth of July.
Wells’ friends said Wells did not return to the mainland with them, choosing instead to stay behind to talk with a girl, a claim his family has disputed. His body was found two days later off the island’s coast.
Images showing Wells with the white friends the day he went missing fueled online speculation that racial dynamics played a role in his death.
Two of the three friends who are suing Owens were singled out online in part because they appear in a photo with Wells and one other friend on a boat, which was circulated on social media after his disappearance. The third called Wells’ mother and the U.S. Coast Guard to report Wells missing.
The teen’s mother became more suspicious after getting her son’s phone back, where she checked Snapchat and saw that her son had not taken any photos of his day out, which she said was unusual for the football player
Wells’ death garnered national attention, with his heartbroken family calling for an investigation despite law enforcement’s determination that no foul play was involved.
In a report released by the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office last month, the grand jury report said it ‘finds that the position of, the condition of, time of discovery, and location of Mr Wells’ body is consistent with drowning.’
‘After a thorough and exhaustive investigation, your grand jury met last week concerning the death investigation of Nolan Wells and unanimously returned a no true bill,’ District Attorney Angel Myers Mcllrath said.
‘The death of Nolan Wells has devastated our community. Outsiders and influencers have attempted to exploit Nolan’s death to divide and create chaos here but we are better together.’
The state’s Chief Medical Examiner and another doctor asserted that the cause of the teenager’s death was ‘undetermined’ and that ‘drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion.’
‘There was bruising on the back of Mr Wells’ head which was not a fatal injury,’ the documents said, adding that the doctor and state medical examiner disagreed about further bruising on his rear and shoulder.
‘A witness testified under oath that he saw Mr Wells slip awkwardly off the side of a boat around the time of 3.30pm on July 4… but could not say whether Mr Wells struck his head during the fall,’ the report continued.
The witness said Wells continued to socialize afterward and did not appear injured.
Owens played 15 seasons in the NFL for teams including the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals
The grand jury addressed the public’s concerns and dismissed rumors, determining that Wells was not the only person of color on Horn Island on the day of his death as speculated. Source: ChristineWonsley/Facebook
Wells’s friends have rejected claims that his death was racially motivated and said he was like a brother to the group. Source: ChristineWonsley/Facebook
The grand jury determined that Wells was not the only person of color on Horn Island on the day of his death, as some speculated.
‘There is absolutely no evidence to support the allegations that Nolan’s disappearance and death were racially motivated,’ Mcllrath said.
‘The Grand Jury finds no credible evidence to support the public allegations that any persons who rode to or from Horn Island on July 4… engaged in any criminal conduct related to the death of Mr Wells,’ the report said.
It also found Wells had not been involved in a fight or argument on July 4 and stayed on the island, along with others, to ‘socialize.’
According to the report, the Triton that transported Wells’ group across the water had a bilge pump and motor malfunction on July 4 and was ‘actively taking on water and sinking.’
‘The Grand Jury conducted a comprehensive inquiry into the death of Mr Wells and is confident in the extensive investigation done by both Federal and State law enforcement agencies,’ the report added.