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Jada Pinkett Smith Being Sued for Alleged Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress: What to Know
Will Smith’s longtime friend Bilaal Salaam is suing Jada Pinkett Smith for $3 million in damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Life & Style breaks down everything to know about the lawsuit below.
What Is Jada Pinkett Smith Being Sued For?
Salaam filed the lawsuit against Pinkett Smith on December 1 claiming that she threatened him with physical violence in 2021. According to The Independent, Salaam claimed that Pinkett Smith threatened he would “catch a stray bullet” or “go missing” if he didn’t stop publicly talking about her personal life.
In the filing, Salaam claimed Pinkett Smith allegedly confronted him during Smith’s 53rd birthday celebration in September 2021 with “approximately seven members of her entourage.” He alleged she was “verbally aggressive” and demanded he sign a non-disclosure agreement.
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Salaam then claimed Pinkett Smith’s team followed him to his car after the incident and they continued to “issue verbal threats.”
Six months later, Salaam claimed he refused a request from a mutual friend to assist with “crisis management” after Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock onstage during the Academy Awards after the host made a joke about Pinkett Smith.
Salaam claimed in the filing that he refused to perform tasks that “he believed were illegal, unethical, or morally compromising, stating his conscience would not allow him to be involved in any cover-up or deceptive PR campaign.”
He also claimed he received threats from members of Smith and Pinkett Smith’s inner circle after he refused to help, saying he was the “target of a retaliatory campaign launched against him.”
Another allegation made in the lawsuit was that the “campaign” against him escalated after he was interviewed by YouTuber Tasha K in May 2024. At the time, he claimed he had walked in on Smith and actor Duane Martin engaging in a sexual act several years prior. Both Smith and Pinkett Smith denied the allegations.
Additionally, Salaam claimed that the threats made against him intensified when it became known that he wanted to write a memoir about his experiences with the Smith family.
Salaam said that Pinkett Smith tried to “bribe, intimidate and suppress” him, alleging that her takedown of him led to “the complete derailment of his personal life and career.”
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Pinkett Smith’s rep did not immediately respond to Life & Style’s request for comment.
Who Is Bilaal Salaam?
In the lawsuit, Salaam described himself as Smith’s “best friend” for nearly 40 years, according to The Independent. Salaam, who is also known as Brother Bilaal, claimed that he has “worked closely” with the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum on several projects and pointed out that Smith included photos of him in his 2021 memoir, Will.
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