Three friends of Mississippi teenager Nolan Wells have filed a defamation lawsuit against NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens over an Instagram post about Wells’ death.
The young men deny the allegation. The lawsuit claims the post caused serious damage to the three men’s reputations and put their safety at risk. Their lawyers allege that they have faced death threats, harassment and ridicule from strangers since the claims spread online. His death has drawn a lot of attention, with questions continuing over what happened. A Mississippi grand jury declined to bring criminal charges in September, with authorities saying the death appeared consistent with drowning. Owens had not immediately responded to requests for comment.
The lawsuit shared by Sun Herald centers on a September 26 Instagram video shared by Owens.
The former NFL star suggested that the three friends had deleted evidence from Wells’ phone following his death, according to the complaint. Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath has also said the death was not racially motivated. The friends’ lawyer also said they plan to pursue legal action against other public figures who have spoken publicly about Wells’ death , including civil rights activist Al Sharpton and The View co-host Sunny Hostin.
Wells’ family and civil rights attorney Ben Crump continue to call for further investigation.
