Friends of Nolan Wells Sue Terrell Owens for Defamation

Three friends of Nolan Wells, a Black college student who died after going missing on July 4th, are suing NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens for defamation. The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court, alleges that Owens defamed the three minors through social media posts made after a Mississippi grand jury declined to recommend charges in Wells' death.

Owens, who has 1.2 million followers on X, formerly Twitter, posted "ARREST THEM IMMEDIATELY!!" and linked to an Instagram video theorizing the friends killed Wells and tampered with his phone, according to the lawsuit. Owens had previously 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," said Edward Paltzik, a defamation and media attorney representing the three friends. The Associated Press sought comment from Owens through social media and SMAC Entertainment, his management, but did not immediately receive a response.

Wells and a group of approximately 30 friends, including the three suing Owens, traveled to Horn Island on three boats for Fourth of July celebrations. Wells' friends stated he chose to stay behind on the island to talk with a girl, a claim his family has disputed. His body was discovered two days later off the island's coast.

Both state and independent autopsies have not definitively determined Wells' cause of death. However, the grand jury concluded his death was "consistent with drowning." Wells' family and their legal representatives contested these findings, citing unexplained bruising on the back of his head and the absence of water in his airways and stomach.

Images circulating on social media after Wells' disappearance, showing him with white friends, fueled speculation online about racial dynamics potentially playing a role in his death. Two of the three friends now suing Owens were specifically targeted in online discussions, partly due to their appearance in a photograph with Wells and another friend on a boat, which was widely shared after he went missing. The third friend is credited with contacting Wells' mother and the U.S. Coast Guard to report him missing.