Nationwide — NFL star Terrell Owens is facing a defamation lawsuit from three friends of Nolan Wells, a Black college student who went missing from Mississippi’s Horn Island during a Fourth of July gathering and was later found dead. The three young men claim Owens falsely linked them to Wells’ death and accused them of tampering with his phone in a social media post that called for their immediate arrests.
The federal lawsuit was filed Monday by the fathers of the three friends. They are under 21 and are considered minors under Mississippi law. According to Fox 8 Live, the lawsuit centers on a post Owens made on X several days after a Mississippi grand jury declined to recommend charges in Wells’ death. Owens wrote, “ARREST THEM IMMEDIATELY!!” and shared a link to an Instagram video that alleged the three friends killed Wells and interfered with evidence on his phone.
Owens had previously drawn attention to the case by offering $25,000 toward a reward for information that could lead to an arrest and conviction. He has about 1.2 million followers on X, giving his post a large audience. Edward Paltzik, the attorney representing the three friends, said Owens’ statements exposed the young men to further public accusations.
The three friends were part of a group of about 30 people who traveled to Horn Island on three boats on July 4. Wells did not return to the mainland with the group. His friends said he decided to remain on the island to talk with a girl, but his family has disputed that explanation. His body was found in the water near the island two days later. Neither the state nor an independent autopsy has determined how he died. A grand jury later concluded that the circumstances of his death were “consistent with drowning.”
The circumstances have continued to draw intense attention online. Photos of Wells with white friends on the day he disappeared were widely shared, prompting online discussions about whether race played a role in what happened. Two of the friends suing Owens appeared in one of the photos with Wells and another friend on a boat. The third friend became involved in the search and contacted Wells’ mother and the U.S. Coast Guard after Wells was reported missing.
Wells’ family and its attorneys have questioned the grand jury’s conclusion. They have pointed to bruising on the back of his head and said his airways and stomach contained no water. Meanwhile, the three friends have faced online accusations despite not being charged in connection with Wells’ death. Their lawsuit against Owens is part of several defamation claims filed this week against content creators. The friends have also previously indicated plans to sue Rev. Al Sharpton and The View co-host Sunny Hostin over comments they made while discussing Wells’ death.