Jada Pinkett Smith is facing serious allegations in a $3 million lawsuit filed by Bilaal Salaam, a man who identifies as a former confidant and associate of her husband, Will Smith. The suit, filed in Los Angeles, accuses Jada of issuing violent threats and attempting to silence Salaam as he prepared to share personal details about the Smith family.
According to court documents, the alleged confrontation occurred during a private celebration for Will Smith in September 2021. Salaam claims Jada, flanked by several associates, approached him in a hotel lobby and warned that he would “catch a bullet” or “end up missing” if he continued revealing personal information about her. She allegedly demanded he sign a nondisclosure agreement on the spot. When he refused, one of her associates is said to have followed him to his car, issuing additional threats.
The dispute appears to have intensified following the infamous 2022 Oscars incident when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage. Salaam claims he declined to help manage the fallout from the scandal, citing ethical objections. Shortly afterward, he says he became the target of a campaign to discredit him, which he links to his decision to work on a memoir detailing his time with the Smiths.
In the lawsuit, Salaam is seeking at least $3 million in damages for emotional distress, damage to his reputation, and the toll on his mental and physical health. He is also requesting a public retraction of what he calls defamatory statements, including accusations that he attempted to extort the Smiths.
Jada has previously dismissed related claims as baseless and absurd. However, if this case proceeds, it could cast a long shadow over the star’s public image and raise deeper questions about celebrity power dynamics, loyalty, and legal boundaries when private lives cross into public spectacle.