Terrell Owens’ push for accountability in the tragic death of Nolan Wells has landed him in a lawsuit.
The former NFL wide receiver has been among those keeping the Black Mississippi teen’s passing from falling into media oblivion for months, and he shows no signs of giving up.
Owens’ efforts, though, have drawn the attention of three of Nolan’s former friends, ranging in age from 18 to 21. All have accused Owens of defamation in a lawsuit filed on Oct. 5.
The retired football player reposted a video from “The Trent Out Loud Show.”
The clip demanded that law enforcement apprehend Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo, and Morgan Seymour over the claim they erased content from the deceased teen’s cellphone.
A photo of the young men was used as the video’s cover image. Owens added the words, “ARREST THEM IMMEDIATELY!! LIKE YESTERDAY!!” in a tweet posted on Sept. 26.
The complaint filed in the Southern District of Mississippi Southern Division court alleges that Owens’ actions “endorsed” the content.
“Owens falsely accused and imputed to the plaintiffs extremely serious wrongdoing that constitutes multiple felonies under Mississippi law,” stated lawyers Hon. J. Tyler Cox and Edward Andrew Paltzik.
They argue the post depicts the three men as “participants in a murder cover-up who had escaped justice.”
Furthermore, they claim Owens acted in malice even though a “Jackson Grand Jury had returned a ‘No True Bill’ concerning Nolan’s tragic death. The decision was publicly announced on September 21, five days before Owens’ post on X.
They allege that Trent’s video accused the friends of murder, hindering prosecution in the first degree, and tampering with physical evidence under state law.
More pointedly, they state that Mississippi’s Long-Arm Statute applies to the case.
The lawyers explain that Owens’ defamatory remark targeted three Mississippi residents over an in-state incident. They also say his trips to Mississippi since Nolan’s passing “fanned the flames of anger and outrage against the plaintiffs and other innocent bystanders.”
Nolan was found deceased on Horn Island after parting with friends over the Fourth of July weekend.
A criminal probe into his demise led a jury to determine no true bill. This means there was insufficient evidence and no probable cause to indict anyone in connection with his death.
“Due to the conduct of Owens and many other less-famous individuals, these complete innocent young men have been subjected to thousands of death threats, face-to-face harassment, and daily fear and ridicule from complete strangers,” according to the documents.
The young men are requesting a trial by jury. They also seek punitive damages, compensatory damages, and costs and fees associated with the court battle.
A Facebook user commented, “Is the defamation in the room with us?”
Someone else skeptical of the friends’ innocence wrote, “Good now he can get information through discovery!”
Another said, “He said what WE ALL are thinking.”
A third reaction read, “They only going after him because they know he got money lol. You know how many people done said some ishhhh lol. They trying to get a come up.”
“Well wait a minute now and let’s see who is guilty…because clearly someone is. Then let’s see who needs to be sued. Maybe Nolan’s mom and the rest of the family might want to sue some folks too,” added another voice.
On Oct. 4, Owens posted a video of Christine Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, Nolan’s parents, at a press conference, where the grieving mother spoke about her son’s death.
Nolan’s mother, Christine, questioned the accidental drawing as the cause of death. She said she cannot accept the conclusion.
On Oct. 1, he participated in a social media blackout, where users replaced profile photos with black images, in solidarity with the #JusticeForNolanWells movement.
The NFL Hall of Famer has been supportive of the family throughout the tragedy. He donated $25,000 to a reward fund for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case in July.
That same month, Owens called on President Donald Trump to intervene in the case. However, his request fell on deaf ears.
ARREST THEM IMMEDIATELY!! LIKE YESTERDAY!! https://t.co/b9swOY0DsW
— Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) September 26, 2026
