Jada Pinkett Smith is facing a $3 million lawsuit from Bilaal Salaam, a longtime associate of Will Smith, who claims she threatened him at a private birthday event and later tried to sabotage his life and career.
The complaint, filed in California, accuses Pinkett Smith of confronting Salaam at a movie theater in September 2021 during her husband’s birthday celebration. According to the filing, she arrived with a group of about seven people and allegedly issued a chilling ultimatum.
Salaam, who claims to have been close to Will Smith for nearly four decades, says the confrontation didn’t end there. One of Pinkett Smith’s associates allegedly followed him to his car while continuing to issue verbal threats. The legal filing also details what Salaam describes as a campaign of retaliation. He says Pinkett Smith and her team turned against him after he declined to assist with crisis management following the infamous Oscars incident in March 2022, when Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock on live television.
Salaam’s legal team says he has suffered significant harm, including financial loss, emotional distress and damage to his health, reputation and livelihood. He is seeking $3 million in damages.