Three friends of Nolan Wells, the Black college student who died after vanishing from a Mississippi island during Fourth of July festivities, have filed a federal defamation lawsuit against NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens over posts he made on social media.
The lawsuit centers on an X post in which Owens wrote “ARREST THEM IMMEDIATELY!!” and linked to an Instagram video that theorized the three friends had killed Wells and tampered with his phone. The post came just days after a Mississippi grand jury declined to recommend charges in connection with Wells’ death.
The fathers of the three young men filed the lawsuit on their behalf Monday because all three are under 21 and considered minors under Mississippi law. Owens has 1.2 million followers on X and had previously pledged $25,000 toward a reward fund for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
Attorney Edward Paltzik who represents the three friends said Owens’ post went beyond commentary. “Not only is he defaming them, he’s basically saying to the mob, get your pitchforks, get your torches” Paltzik said. Lawyers for the group also indicated they plan to file additional defamation claims this week against social media content creators.
The legal team has previously signaled intentions to sue Reverend Al Sharpton and “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin over statements each made while publicly discussing Wells’ death.
Wells disappeared from Horn Island on July 4 during a gathering that included roughly 30 friends who traveled to the island on three boats. His companions said he chose to stay behind to speak with a young woman rather than return to the mainland. His body was recovered two days later in the waters off the island’s coast.
Two of the three plaintiffs appeared in a widely circulated photo with Wells taken the day he went missing. The third friend contacted both Wells’ mother and the U.S. Coast Guard to report him missing.
The circumstances surrounding Wells’ death remain unresolved. Both a state and an independent autopsy were unable to conclusively determine his cause of death. The grand jury concluded his death was consistent with drowning but Wells’ family has challenged that finding citing unexplained bruising on the back of his head and the absence of water in his airways or stomach.
Images from that day showing Wells alongside white friends sparked widespread online speculation that racial tensions played a role in what happened on the island. The Associated Press said it reached out to Owens and his management firm but had not received a response.