Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are firmly shutting down a fresh $3 million lawsuit filed by one of Smith’s former friends, with insiders close to the pair calling the accusations empty and driven by money.
People reports that the couple is “really mad” about the filing and considers it nothing more than “a lot of crap.”
The lawsuit was submitted on December 1 by Bilaal Salaam — also known as Brother Bilaal — who has long portrayed himself as a close confidant of Will Smith.
Insiders say Will and Jada view the complaint as nothing more than “a money ploy,” with one source describing Salaam as “an opportunistic person out to exploit” them. Another insider added that the lawsuit “was crafted to squeeze out some money just to make it disappear.”
“They don’t see this as legitimate,” the source shared, noting that both Will and Jada are tired of people from their past “talking out of school,” especially when it turns into public drama.
The legal battle stems from an alleged run-in back in September 2021. Salaam claims Jada confronted him in the lobby of the Regency Calabasas Commons during a private birthday celebration for Will.
In the lawsuit, he says Jada threatened him, warning that if he kept “telling her personal business,” he would “end up missing” or “catch a bullet.”
Salaam also alleges that Jada pushed him to sign an NDA and that her team followed him to his car while continuing to hurl verbal threats. He further claims that after he refused to help with crisis management following the 2022 Oscars — when Will slapped Chris Rock onstage — people close to the couple started a retaliation campaign against him.
Salaam’s filing accuses the couple of intentional infliction of emotional distress and takes issue with later comments in which Jada allegedly implied he was trying to “shake down” her and Will — statements he says damaged his reputation and career.
Another source close to the situation confirmed Salaam had indeed been in Will’s circle for years but said things fell apart once private details began leaking. “Like any high-profile people, they don’t want their lives out in the media like that,” the source said.
