NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens Sued for Defamation by 3 of Nolan Wells’ Friends

NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens has been sued for defamation by three friends of Nolan Wells, the 18-year-old who was found dead after a boat trip to Horn Island on July 4.

In the lawsuit, per The Guardian, the former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, 52, is accused of defaming Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo and Morgan Seymour with an X post on September 26 that read, “ARREST THEM IMMEDIATELY!! LIKE YESTERDAY!!”

The retired athlete also linked to a video accusing the three young men of deleting evidence from Wells’ phone, which they have all denied, per the outlet.

“Due to the conduct of Owens and many other less-famous individuals, these completely innocent young men have been subjected to thousands of death threats, face-to-face harassment, and daily fear and ridicule from complete strangers,” the complaint, filed on Monday, October 5, alleges, according to the outlet. “They’ve even been refused service at public establishments. Their lives, and the lives of their family members, will never be the same.”

The three friends traveled with Wells to Horn Island on July 4 and previously said that when the group boarded the boat to return to the mainland, the college football player opted to stay to hang out with an unidentified woman. His parents have said it would be unlike their son to do so, per the Associated Press.

His body was found on July 6. The State of Mississippi’s Chief Medical Examiner was unable to determine the teenager’s cause and manner of death, but found the circumstances consistent with drowning. The DA later announced that no charges would be filed.

An independent autopsy commissioned by Wells’ family documented blunt-force injuries to the back of his head and other areas of his back, as per an official press release released by their attorney, Ben Crump.

The family also hired a forensic investigator, who found that some messages were deleted between Wells’ last use of the phone and when his parents received the device, per TMZ.

Because Wells was Black and his friends are white, many have speculated that race may have played a factor in his death and the case has gained national attention from public figures including Owens, who has 1.2 million followers on X.

The six-time Pro Bowl player had previously offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in Wells’ death.

“Not only is he defaming [the friends], he’s basically saying to the mob, get your pitchforks, get your torches,” Edward Paltzik, a defamation and media attorney representing Hudson, Pitalo and Seymour said of Owens, according to the AP.