Jada Pinkett Smith is asking a judge to force Will Smith's former friend to cover her legal fees from a dismissed emotional distress lawsuit.
According to court documents reviewed by TMZ, Pinkett Smith is reportedly seeking about $49,000 from Bilaal Salaam. Last year, Salaam hit the 54-year-old actress with a $3 million emotional distress lawsuit, and she successfully moved to have part of his claims thrown out.
Per court documents, Pinkett Smith believes Salaam should be responsible for the legal costs she incurred defending herself in the case.
Salaam claimed he suffered emotional distress after alleging he was brought in to help Will Smith with damage control following the 2022 Oscars slap incident involving Chris Rock.
He also claimed Pinkett Smith and “approximately seven members of her entourage” threatened him after learning he was working on a memoir.
Salaam alleged that at the time, Pinkett Smith warned that if he continued “telling her personal business,” he would “end up missing” or “catch a bullet.”
The lawsuit further alleged that Pinkett Smith pressured Salaam to sign a nondisclosure agreement and made the demand with an implied threat.
Pinkett Smith denied all allegations, calling them “false, uncorroborated and made to generate attention as part of an ongoing public campaign of harassment.”
She also said that Salaam failed to provide evidence supporting his claims that he lost a girlfriend, left the country, and lost weight because of the alleged distress.
The case is still ongoing.
