Photo credit: TMZ (X)
Attorneys representing three friends of Nolan Wells sent a formal demand letter to the Rev. Al Sharpton on Friday. They warned they will pursue a defamation lawsuit if he does not retract public statements. The men say those statements wrongly connected them to Wells’ death.
Attorneys J. Tyler Cox and Edward Paltzik sent the 19 page letter. It focuses on comments Sharpton made in July and August about Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo and Morgan Seymour. The three were with Wells during a Fourth of July boating trip to Horn Island off the Mississippi coast. Searchers later found his body in the water near the island.
What the letter demands
The letter describes Hudson, Pitalo and Seymour as completely innocent of any wrongdoing connected to Wells’ case. It asks Sharpton to apologize publicly, retract his statements in writing and delete related posts. The attorneys gave him 10 days from the date they serve him to complete those steps. They also want him to publish corrections, keep them visible for at least a week and preserve any material tied to a potential lawsuit.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Nolan Wells’ friends send legal letter threatening to sue Reverend Al Sharpton. https://t.co/04xiYFzlo2 pic.twitter.com/C1NqNTEIpl
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 21, 2026
Sharpton responds
Sharpton said he welcomes the threatened lawsuit. He told the attorneys to have their legal team coordinate with his so they can serve him. He has said Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore, asked him to help them get transparent answers about what happened to their son. Sharpton has previously said he does not believe he defamed the three friends. He explained that he did not know their names when he raised questions publicly. He has also said a lawsuit would let everyone connected to the trip answer questions under oath. He called that outcome a path toward the truth rather than something to avoid.
The defamation claim explained
The dispute centers on whether Sharpton’s public remarks implied the three friends played a role in Wells’ death. The attorneys argue his repeated references to Wells’ three White friends insinuated the men withheld evidence. They also argue his questions about a missing phone and keys insinuated the men obstructed the investigation. Sharpton has publicly questioned why Wells left his phone behind. He has also questioned why the friends did not immediately hand over the phone and keys. The attorneys counter that none of the three friends touched, accessed or erased data from the phone. They say Wells left his keys in Pitalo’s bedroom before someone returned them to Wells’ stepfather.
Where the investigation stands
Investigators have not determined how Wells died. The state medical examiner performed one autopsy, and his family requested a separate one. Both autopsies are still awaiting toxicology results, which can take weeks to complete. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has largely deferred public comment to District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath. She has said she cannot share details publicly until the investigation is complete. She has also said prosecutors will send any findings to a grand jury.
The attorneys have given Sharpton 10 days from the date they serve him to comply with their demands. If he does not meet that deadline, they say a lawsuit will follow.
SOURCE: abc7, Tmz
About the Author
