Nolan Wells’ friends sue NFL legend Terrell Owens over ‘ARREST THEM’ post

Three friends of Nolan Wells, the Black college student who disappeared from a Mississippi island over the Fourth of July and was later found dead, are suing NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens for defamation.The fathers of the three friends, who are under 21 and considered minors under Mississippi law, filed the federal lawsuit Monday on their behalf.The lawsuit centers on an X post in which Owens wrote, “ARREST THEM IMMEDIATELY!!” and linked to an Instagram video that theorized the three friends killed Wells and tampered with his phone, according to the complaint.Three friends of Nolan Wells, a Black college student who went missing from a Mississippi island and was later found dead, are suing NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens for defamation (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)Owens made the post days after a Mississippi grand jury declined to recommend charges in Wells’ death.“Not only is he defaming them, he’s basically saying to the mob, get your pitchforks, get your torches,” attorney Edward Paltzik, who represents the three friends, said.Owens, who has 1.2 million followers on X, previously pledged $25,000 toward a reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Wells’ death.The Associated Press sought comment from Owens through social media and SMAC Entertainment, which lists him as a client, but did not receive an immediate response.Christine Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, mother and stepfather of Nolan Wells, stand on a stage with a portrait of their son as they appear at the National Urban League's annual conference (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)Attorneys for the three friends said they plan to file additional defamation claims against content creators this week. They have previously said they intend to sue the Rev. Al Sharpton and “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin over comments about Wells’ death.Wells was among about 30 friends who traveled by boat to Horn Island on July 4. His friends said he stayed behind to talk with a girl when the group returned to the mainland, an account his family has disputed.His body was found off the island two days later.Neither a state nor an independent autopsy determined Wells’ cause of death, although the grand jury said his death was “consistent with drowning.”Wells’ family has challenged that conclusion, pointing to bruising on the back of his head and saying his airways and stomach contained no water.Photos showing Wells with white friends before his disappearance also fueled online speculation that race played a role in his death.Two of the friends now suing Owens appeared with Wells in a photo circulated widely after his disappearance. The third called Wells’ mother and the U.S. Coast Guard to report him missing.Questions remain over Wells’ death