Civil rights activist Al Sharpton has been threatened with a defamation lawsuit by three friends of Nolan Wells, the 18-year-old student athlete found dead after a Fourth of July boating trip. Attorneys for the friends, Morgan Seymour, Jax Pitalo, and Warren Hudson, sent a presuit letter to Sharpton alleging that his public comments about the circumstances of Wells's death have defamed the young men.
Wells disappeared during a boating trip with friends off the Mississippi Gulf Coast and was later found dead. The case has garnered national attention, with speculation arising about whether race played a role, as Wells was the only Black person on the boat. Sharpton, who delivered the eulogy at Wells's funeral and appeared at press conferences with the teenager's parents and their attorney Ben Crump, has publicly challenged the friends' accounts of the events.
During an appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists' conference on August 13, Sharpton commented on the situation, stating, "I don't know what happened. But I got your history of Mississippi. And the history tells me: black boy (who) goes out with three white kids. Three white kids come back. There's a blurred story on what happened." He also stated that he welcomed litigation from the families of Wells's friends.
The presuit letter, a 19-page document, demands that Sharpton issue public verbal and written apologies retracting and deleting all false and defamatory statements made about the friends. The attorneys claim Sharpton's remarks implied the young men committed felonies, including murder, hindering prosecution, and evidence tampering, which they argue constitutes defamation per se under Mississippi law. The letter warns that litigation will be necessary if Sharpton does not comply within 10 days of being served.
Attorneys for Seymour, Pitalo, and Hudson dismissed Sharpton's previous comments, stating, "Smearing the reputation of innocent young men mourning the loss of their friend to score cheap political points will prove far easier than explaining yourself under oath." They also refuted speculation about Wells's phone being tampered with or his keys being concealed, asserting that none of the friends touched or altered Wells's phone.
In response to the presuit letter, Sharpton stated, "I welcome the lawsuit and will have my attorneys be in touch with theirs to arrange for them to serve me so we can get in court." He had previously remarked, "I want them to sue me first, and I'll tell you why... I want to depose your son. If you sue, the plaintiffs are deposed."
During an interview with YouTuber Brandon Tatum, Hudson described Wells as being like a brother and rejected claims that his death was racially motivated. The friends also addressed speculation regarding Wells potentially being aboard their boat, the Triton, when it began taking on water and required a towing service. They pointed to video evidence showing Wells was not present on the boat at the time.
Hudson and Pitalo questioned why they would have contacted Sea Tow and the U.S. Coast Guard for assistance if Wells had been deceased aboard their vessel. An official autopsy has been completed but not yet released; its findings will be presented to a grand jury. An independent autopsy commissioned by Wells's family found no evidence of fractures or deep tissue injuries but noted a "red discoloration" on the back of Wells's skull that warranted further investigation. Wells's parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, have expressed skepticism regarding the friends' accounts of their son's final hours.