Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are forcefully rejecting a newly filed $3 million lawsuit brought by one of Smith’s former friends, with sources close to the couple dismissing the claims as baseless and financially motivated.
According to People, the couple is “really mad” about the complaint and views it as “a lot of crap.”
The lawsuit was filed on December 1 by Bilaal Salaam, also known as Brother Bilaal, who has long described himself as a close associate of Will Smith.
Sources say Will and Jada believe the complaint is “a money ploy,” with one insider characterizing Salaam as “an opportunistic person out to exploit” the couple. Another source added that the legal action “was tailored to produce some money to make it go away.”
“They don’t see this as legitimate,” the source said, noting that both Will and Jada are frustrated by people from their past “talking out of school,” particularly when it becomes public and controversial.
The lawsuit centers on an alleged confrontation dating back to September 2021. Salaam claims Jada confronted him in the lobby of the Regency Calabasas Commons during a private birthday celebration for Will.
Salaam claims Jada confronted him in the lobby of the Regency Calabasas Commons hotel during a private birthday celebration for Will. In the complaint, Salaam alleges she threatened him, warning that if he continued “telling her personal business,” he would “end up missing” or “catch a bullet.”
Salaam further alleges that Jada demanded he sign a nondisclosure agreement and that members of her team followed him to his car while continuing to issue verbal threats. The complaint also claims that after Salaam later declined to assist with crisis management following the 2022 Oscars—when Will slapped Chris Rock onstage—he became the target of a retaliatory campaign by people close to the couple.
Salaam’s lawsuit cites intentional infliction of emotional distress and takes issue with later remarks in which Jada allegedly suggested he was trying to “shake down” her and Will. The filing argues that those comments harmed Salaam’s reputation and livelihood.
Another source familiar with the situation acknowledged that Salaam had been close to Will for years but said the relationship deteriorated once private matters began surfacing publicly. “Like any high-profile people, they don’t want their lives discussed in the media that way,” the source said.