Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith walking together on a red carpet.
Bilaal Salaam, a former longtime associate of Will Smith, is escalating his $3 million lawsuit against Jada Pinkett Smith. In a July 7 email, Salaam officially requested that a judge compel the 57-year-old actor to participate in a deposition.
Jada’s legal team immediately rejected the demand. They informed Salaam that the “Men in Black” star “is not a party to this litigation” and has not been formally served a subpoena.
“To the extent you seek his deposition, you must comply with the applicable procedures for obtaining discovery from a nonparty,” her attorneys replied.
The Alleged Calabasas Death Threat
Salaam filed the massive lawsuit in November 2025, accusing the 54-year-old actress of threatening his life during Will’s birthday party on September 25, 2021. The incident allegedly occurred at the Regency Calabasas Common.
According to court filings, Salaam claims Jada approached him with an entourage and became verbally aggressive. He alleges she warned that if he kept “telling her personal business,” he would “end up missing or catch a bullet.”
The lawsuit states Jada demanded he sign a non-disclosure agreement “or else,” and continued to hurl threats as he retreated to his car.
Oscar Slap Retaliation Claims
Salaam, who described himself as Will’s best friend of nearly 40 years, claims the harassment didn’t end at the party.
He alleges he was targeted by a “retaliatory campaign” after refusing to handle crisis management for Will following the notorious 2022 Oscars incident where the actor slapped Chris Rock.
Jada’s Legal Team Fights Back
Jada has vehemently denied the accusations. In February, she slammed the claims as “false, uncorroborated, and made to generate attention as part of an ongoing public campaign of harassment.” She also noted Salaam has a bizarre “fixation” on her family.
Because Salaam is representing himself, Jada’s attorneys are playing hardball. They are demanding he produce actual evidence of his claims, including medical records proving emotional distress.
The legal team is also seeking the audio recordings Salaam claims to possess from witnesses involved in the alleged confrontation. Furthermore, Jada is demanding he cover $49,000 in her legal fees.
While a judge recently denied Salaam’s request to take the case directly to trial, both parties are scheduled to face off in a hearing on August 19.
