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Three friends of Nolan Wells, a college student found dead after going missing during a Fourth of July celebration in Mississippi, are suing former NFL player Terrell Owens for defamation. Owens posted scathing messages on X (formerly Twitter) accusing the three friends of killing Wells and tampering with evidence, despite a grand jury’s decision not to recommend charges. The lawsuit was filed by the minors’ fathers, who argue that Owens’s posts incited online harassment against their sons.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Three friends of Nolan Wells, a Black college student who went missing during a Fourth of July celebration on a Mississippi island and was later found dead, are suing NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens for defamation. The lawsuit alleges that Owens posted scathing messages on social media, including “ARREST THEM IMMEDIATELY!!,” which linked to an Instagram video suggesting the three friends were responsible for Wells’ death and tampered with his phone. Lawyers representing the plaintiffs plan to file additional lawsuits against other content creators and have previously indicated intentions to sue Rev. Al Sharpton and “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin over their comments on Wells' death. The fathers of these three friends, who are minors under Mississippi law, filed the federal lawsuit on their behalf.
Written for “Nolan Wells Defamation Case” on 2026-10-07,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but none of the 1 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 61340: no verified evidence · logged 2026-10-06
Nolan Wells’ friends suing Terrell Owens for defamation after ex-NFL star posted scathing social media messages
By
Associated Press
Published Oct. 6, 2026, 6:26 p.m. ET
See more of our coverage in your search results.
asserted
star → sue → results
Three friends of Nolan Wells, a Black college student who went missing from a Mississippi island during a Fourth of July celebration and was later found dead, are suing NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens for defamation.
asserted
who → go → defamation
Lawyers for the friends said they intend to file several more defamation claims this week against content creators and have previously indicated their intent to sue the Rev. Al Sharpton and “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin for comments they made while discussing Wells’ death.
uncertain
they → say → death
The fathers of the three friends, who are under 21 and considered minors under Mississippi law, filed the federal lawsuit Monday on their behalf.
asserted
who → consider → behalf
The lawsuit alleges Owens defamed the three friends after posting on X: “ARREST THEM IMMEDIATELY!!”
asserted
Owens → allege → THEM
Owens’ post also linked to an Instagram video, which theorized the three friends killed Wells and tampered with his phone, according to the lawsuit.
uncertain
friends → link → lawsuit
The post was made days after a Mississippi grand jury declined to recommend charges in Wells’ death.
asserted
jury → make → death
Owens has 1.2 million followers on X and had previously pledged $25,000 to a reward fund for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Wells’ death.
asserted
Owens → have → 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.
asserted
Paltzik → defame → friends
The Associated Press attempted to contact Owens through social media and SMAC Entertainment, which, according to its website, manages Owens, but did not immediately receive a response.
uncertain
which → attempt → response
The three were part of a group of 30 friends, including Wells, who rode to Horn Island on three boats on the Fourth of July.
asserted
who → include → July
Wells’ friends said Wells did not return to the mainland with them, choosing instead to stay behind to talk with a girl, a claim his family has disputed.
uncertain
family → say → claim
His body was found two days later off the island’s coast.
asserted
body → find → coast
Here’s the latest on the disappearance and death of Mississippi teen Nolan Wells:
asserted
latest → ’ → Wells
Both state and independent autopsies have not determined Wells’ cause of death, though the grand jury found his death was “consistent with drowning.”
asserted
death → determine → drowning
Wells’ family and their lawyers disputed the grand jury’s findings, pointing to unexplained bruising on the back of his head and noting that his airways and stomach were devoid of water.
asserted
airways → dispute → water
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
asserted
Report → start → news
Images showing Wells with white friends the day he went missing fueled online speculation that racial dynamics played a role in his death.
asserted
dynamics → show → death
Two of the three friends who are suing Owens were singled out online in part because they appear in a photo with Wells and one other friend on a boat, which was circulated on social media after his disappearance.
asserted
which → sue → disappearance
The third called Wells’ mother and the U.S. Coast Guard to report Wells missing.
asserted
Wells → call → mother
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