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Jada Pinkett Smith Sued for Alleged Threats in $3 Million Lawsuit
Will Smith's name is being dragged into a legal battle between his ex Jada Pinkett Smith and his former friend Bilaal Salaam.
Salaam (also known as Brother Bilaal) is seeking the Oscar winner's testimony in his lawsuit against Pinkett Smith, who he accuses of orchestrating a smear campaign against him after an alleged confrontation at Smith's birthday party in 2021, according to court documents obtained by E! News.
In an email exchange attached to motion filed by Pinkett Smith's legal team on July 15, Salaam—who is representing himself in the case—said he wanted to devote the first 10 minutes of a 30-minute call with the actress' counsel to addressing his request to depose Smith.
However, Pinkett Smith's lawyer—who stated in her filing that her client "denies all such allegations" from Salaam—argued that there "is nothing to meet and confer about" regarding Smith.
"Mr. Smith is not a party to this litigation," the attorney continued in her email response to Salaam. "To the extent you seek his deposition, you must comply with the applicable procedures for obtaining discovery from a nonparty. As far as we are aware, no subpoena has been served on Mr. Smith."
E! News has reached out to Smith and Pinkett Smith's reps for comment but has not heard back.
Salaam is suing Pinkett Smith for $3 million, accusing her of "intentional infliction of emotional distress" when she and her associates allegedly threatened him during Smith's 53rd birthday party nearly five years ago.
In Salaam's lawsuit filed in November, he alleged Pinkett Smith told him that "if he continued ‘telling her personal business,’ he would ‘end up missing or catch a bullet.’"
Pinkett Smith then allegedly demanded Salaam sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) "‘or else,’" according to his lawsuit, before he was allegedly followed to his car by seven members of her entourage.
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Salaam alleged in his lawsuit that “a retaliatory campaign was launched against him" when he refused to help Pinkett Smith with "crisis management" after her ex slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. He said he's developed post-traumatic stress disorder, a 100-pound weight gain, high blood pressure and diabetes as a result of the alleged smear campaign.
In the July 15 motion, Pinkett Smith's attorney is requesting for Salaam to produce recordings of phone calls that he "places at the center of his claims" of alleged intimidation and threats.
"Plaintiff has not unequivocally agreed to produce recordings," the motion read, "he has not stated whether responsive recordings with two of the alleged participants exist, and he refuses to state whether he will produce medical records supporting the physical and emotional injuries for which he seeks recovery."
For a closer look at the Smiths' relationship, read on.
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Throwback!
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith were all smiles at the Devil in a Blue Dress premiere in 1995.
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White Hot
Have you ever seen anything more '90s glam than this? The couple posed together in 1997, the year they got married.
Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage
Baby Bump Alert
Jada was styling more than just a trendy silver coat in this 1998 red carpet photo—she was also showing off her baby bump in a sleek black dress. The couple's son Jaden Smith was born on July 8, 1998.
Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images
Growing the Family
During Jada's second pregnancy with daughter Willow Smith in 2000, Will couldn't help but to cradle the actress' baby belly at a celebrity boxing match in Los Angeles.
Lester Cohen/WireImage
Suited Up
Hats off to the couple who never cease to show up on a red carpet in style. Here they were together at Hollywood's Kodak Theater in 2005.
Salvatore Laporta/Getty Images
Wedding Date
Jada ignored the old superstition of never wearing to black to a wedding as she and Will headed to Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise's 2006 nuptials in Rome.
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Family Affair
The kids were here in London with Will and Jada on the red carpet at The Karate Kid premiere in 2010.
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Say Cheese
Orange you glad to see this picture of Will and Jada together? The pair got cozy during an event in New York City in 2010.
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Oh Canada
Willow, Jaden, Will and Jada posed together in a family shot at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2012.
Alberto Rodriguez/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Glam in Green
Jada dazzled in green as she and Will arrived at the 2016 Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Vacation Mode
Everyone was all smiles for a family vacation after making a quick pit stop at the 2018 World Cup.
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
Entanglement
In 2020, the couple addressed Jada's alleged affair with August Alsina.
Admitting she and August had an "entanglement" while she and Will were separated, she explained, "It was a relationship. I was in a lot of pain and I was very broken. In the process of that relationship I definitely realized you can't find happiness outside of yourself. Luckily enough, you and I were also going through a process of healing in a much different manner."
ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images
2022 Oscars
During the 2022 Academy Awards, Will slapped host Chris Rock over a joke the comedian made about Jada's shaved head.
After the slap, Will resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and was banned from its events for 10 years. He also apologized to Chris, calling the slap "unacceptable" and noting "there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment."
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Separation News
In October 2023, Jada revealed she and Will had been separated for seven years, including the six leading up to the 2022 Oscars.
"We're still figuring it out," Jada told People. "We've been doing some really heavy-duty work together. We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us."
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