Jada Pinkett Smith Hit With $3 Million Lawsuit
A longtime friend of Will Smith has filed a $3 million lawsuit against Jada Pinkett Smith, claiming she threatened his life and attempted to silence him after he spoke publicly about intimate details concerning the Smith family.
The plaintiff, Bilaal Salaam — who has described himself as Will’s “best friend for nearly 40 years” — alleges that Jada approached him at Will’s birthday party on September 25, 2021, and warned him he’d “end up missing or catch a bullet” if he continued revealing personal information. He claims she demanded he a sign a non-disclosure agreement, and that an entourage member followed him to his car while continuing threats.
According to Salaam’s lawsuit, the tension escalated after he refused to assist with a supposed crisis-management effort following Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars controversy. He alleges that once he began working on a memoir about his time with the family, he was subjected to further intimidation, public defamation and a smear campaign, including statements from Jada implying he was trying to extort the couple.
The complaint cites damages related to intentional infliction of emotional distress, reputational harm, loss of income, physical health impacts and more. Salaam is seeking at least $3 million in special and punitive damages, along with a public retraction of the alleged defamatory statements.
As this unfolds, sources close to the Smiths say they view the lawsuit as a calculated attempt to profit from false allegations, calling it a “money ploy” by someone formerly within their inner circle. Jada nor Will Smith have responded to the lawsuit.
