Key Takeaways
- Will Smith's former friend Bilaal Salaam is seeking to add Will as a co-defendant in his $3 million emotional distress lawsuit against Jada Pinkett Smith, alleging Will backed Jada during an October 2021 phone call in which she allegedly threatened to have him killed if he kept discussing her personal life or publishing his memoir.
- Salaam claims Jada previously warned him in person that he could “end up missing or catch a bullet,” says associates tied to the Smiths later threatened him with “physical consequences” and tried to pay him to retract his statements, and argues Will and Jada acted intentionally or with reckless disregard for the emotional harm he suffered.
- Jada has denied wrongdoing and called Salaam’s allegations a “money shakedown,” winning partial dismissal of his original suit under California’s anti-SLAPP law and a $32,836 fee award, while a Los Angeles judge has now ordered Will and Jada to respond to Salaam’s new motion within 30 days.
Will Smith is no longer just on the sidelines of the $3 million lawsuit against Jada Pinkett Smith. His former friend, Bilaal Salaam, is now trying to add the actor as a defendant, alleging that Will personally backed a threat Jada made against him.
According to USA Today, Salaam filed a motion August 18 seeking permission to amend his emotional distress lawsuit to name Will as a co-defendant. A Los Angeles judge ordered Will and Jada to respond within 30 days of being served. Representatives for the couple have not commented on the latest filing.
At the center of Salaam's new allegations is an October 5, 2021, phone call. Salaam claims Jada threatened to have him "killed if he continued to discuss her personal business or publish his memoir." According to the proposed amended complaint, Will was with his wife during the conversation and allegedly responded, "You heard what my wife said."
Salaam argues that statement amounted to Will "affirming and adopting" the alleged threat himself.
The new filing builds on allegations Salaam has been making against Jada for months. He previously claimed she confronted him during Will's September 2021 birthday celebration with roughly seven people and warned that he would "end up missing or catch a bullet" if he continued discussing her private life.
Salaam also alleges the intimidation continued after the 2022 Oscars, when Will slapped Chris Rock onstage. He claims he was asked to help with crisis management following the incident but refused, after which an associate with a longtime professional relationship with Will allegedly threatened him with physical harm.
The filing further alleges Salaam was offered money to publicly retract statements about the Smiths using a prepared statement. After rejecting that proposal, he claims longtime Smith associate Charles Alston warned him against returning to the United States, publishing his planned memoir or giving additional interviews, allegedly telling him there would be "physical consequences" if he refused.
Jada has denied wrongdoing throughout the case. She previously characterized Salaam's public allegations as a "money shakedown," while her attorneys successfully secured dismissal of portions of his original lawsuit under California's anti-SLAPP law.
Will's potential involvement has been building for weeks. In July, Salaam sought to depose him, prompting Jada's attorney to respond that "there is nothing to meet and confer about" because Will was not a party to the litigation and had not been subpoenaed.
Salaam is now attempting to change exactly that.
His proposed complaint alleges Will and Jada acted intentionally or with "reckless disregard" for the likelihood of causing him severe emotional distress. He continues to seek $3 million in damages, legal costs, and a jury trial.
