The father of Nolan Wells’ self-described best friend has publicly accused civil rights attorney Ben Crump of exploiting the teenager’s dєatᩚh for financial and political gain, saying the high-profile involvement has intensified threats against his own family and distorted the search for answers.

Ben Hudson, a 56-year-old addiction medicine physician and father of six, spoke exclusively about the impact on his son Warren Hudson, who was with Nolan on the Fourth of July boat trip to Horn Island. Nolan, 18, was found dead in the water two days after the outing. Questions from Nolan’s parents and online commentators have focused heavily on why the group left him behind.

“In my opinion, truth is not Ben Crump’s concern. He’s exploiting the situation and raising money,” Ben Hudson said. “I think this is financially exploiting this entire tᩚraɢedy and making it a much bigger tᩚraɢedy at the expense of my family and our community and the Wells family.”

Threat of Lawsuits and dєatᩚh Threats
Hudson said his family plans to sue Crump for defamation and slander over comments made since Nolan’s dєatᩚh. He believes Crump has falsely accused his son and other friends of involvement in a murder and pushed a narrative that does not match the facts.

“I think he can expect lawsuits not just from my family but from a number of other families who, in my opinion, he’s defamed.”

He also criticized the involvement of Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network, claiming their presence is tied to upcoming midterm elections and that the families of the young people involved are being used as political pawns. Hudson said his family has received thousands of “credible” dєatᩚh threats and hate messages, including one targeting his wife, a Jackson County chancery court judge, with the comment “I hope you all die.”

On the day of Nolan’s funeral, the Hudson family received letters from a law firm representing the Wells parents warning that litigation was “reasonably anticipated” and instructing them to preserve evidence.

Funeral and Reward Controversy
Nolan’s funeral in Ocean Springs was officiated by Sharpton and attended by high-profile figures. Sharpton announced a reward that later grew to $125,000 with contributions from Tyler Perry and Terrell Owens. Crump led chants of “Justice for Nolan Wells.” Friends who had been on the island with Nolan did not attend.

Hudson said he was disappointed that the service felt like a political rally and that a large reward was framed in a way that cast suspicion on his son and the other young men. Warren Hudson, 19, has said he skipped the funeral because of dєatᩚh threats and has publicly denied deleting content from Nolan’s phone or having any involvement in wrongdoing.

Responses from Crump and Sharpton
When asked about the planned lawsuit, Crump described it as a distraction and said his focus remains on getting to the truth. “We haven’t done anything other than ask questions to get to the truth.”

Sharpton rejected the claim that the funeral was turned into a political event or that the reward constituted a “bounty.” He said he did not know Warren Hudson’s name until contacted by media and denied any connection to midterm elections. “I’ve been very careful to say that we shouldn’t pre-judge it as racist, but they should not pre-judge it as not racist until the investigations are over.”

The official investigation into Nolan Wells’ dєatᩚh continues. An independent autopsy listed the cause and manner of dєatᩚh as undetermined pending further investigation. The case remains a source of deep pain and division in the community as competing narratives about what happened on Horn Island continue to circulate.

Main Sources: New York Post exclusive interview with Ben Hudson and statements from Ben Crump and Rev. Al Sharpton.