Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith Respond to $3 Million Lawsuit From Former assistant
Los Angeles, CA – Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are mounting a joint legal defense against a $3 million lawsuit filed by Bilaal Salaam, a former close assistant to Smith, who alleges he received threats from Pinkett Smith during a party in September 2021.
Sources close to the couple told People magazine that both Smith and Pinkett Smith are “furious” over the accusations, which they deem unfounded. The couple is reportedly working together to formulate a legal response, viewing the lawsuit as an attempt to exploit their public profile and wealth.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Court, claims Jada Pinkett Smith confronted Salaam in a hotel lobby accompanied by seven security agents, demanding he sign a confidentiality agreement to prevent disclosure of personal details about the actor. Salaam alleges Pinkett Smith warned him he could “disappear” or ”take a bullet” if he refused, causing him significant physical and mental distress.
Salaam claims the threats led to post-traumatic stress disorder, diabetes, hypertension, a 45-kilogram weight gain, and the breakdown of a romantic relationship and estrangement from his children.
Identifying himself as “Will Smith’s best friend for almost 40 years,” Salaam states the incident occurred during Smith’s 53rd birthday celebration and intends to file a separate lawsuit against Smith in the future.
The Daily Mail reported Salaam previously claimed on the YouTube channel Unwine With Tasha K to have witnessed smith in an intimate situation with Duane Martin inside a dressing room in 2023.
Representatives for Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have not yet issued public statements regarding the legal proceedings. The couple has been together as 1997 and share two children, Jaden Smith, 27, and Willow Smith, 25. Smith also has a son, Trey Smith, 33, from a previous marriage to Sheree Zampino.
