Jada Pinkett Smith Accused of Threatening Family Friend to Hide Secrets, Faces $3M Suit

A longtime associate of Will Smith has filed a lawsuit, which has gone viral online, accusing Jada Pinkett Smith of threatening him during a confrontation that took place in 2021.

According to Atlanta Black Star, Bilaal "Brother Bilaal" Salaam, once professing to be Smith's close friend of almost four decades, filed a $3 million lawsuit claiming that Jada tried to intimidate him during an encounter at the Regency Calabasas Commons movie theater. In the filing submitted on Nov. 7, Salaam states Jada became verbally hostile while with multiple members of her entourage.

The suit states Salaam claimed Jada warned he would "end up missing or catch a bullet" if he continued "telling her personal business."

Another part of the lawsuit describes an alleged effort to force him to keep quiet. In the complaint, Salaam is quoted as saying that Jada "demanded" he sign a nondisclosure agreement "or else," which he says provoked a lengthy "retaliatory campaign."

Atlanta Black Star reports Salaam claims the disagreement worsened after he declined requests to help the Smiths with "crisis management" in the wake of Will Smith's highly publicized incident with Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022.

The complaint also cites Salaam's reluctance to engage in what he called unethical behavior. The claim is couched in a straightforward manner: "Plaintiff refused to perform tasks he believed were illegal, unethical, or morally compromising, stating his conscience would not allow him to be involved in any cover-up or deceptive PR campaign."

The complaint also revisits controversial allegations Salaam made about Will Smith's personal life in 2023. Asked in a prior interview on "The Breakfast Club" about those rumors, Jada said, "It's ridiculous, right? And it's nonsense."

A separate statement, cited from Jada's past comments to TMZ, also appears within the lawsuit. The filing argues that, "Defendant never filed a lawsuit," and claims her remarks were "false, reckless, and made with malicious intent to manipulate public opinion and damage Plaintiff's character."

Public reaction has been quick in the comment sections and on social media, with some users coming to Jada's defense while others have called out both parties involved.

Reactions from Atlanta Black Star range from sympathy for Will Smith to skepticism about Salaam's motives. There was one remark quoted that said, "Catch a bullet? Sounds like a threat to me."

Jada and Will Smith, married since 1997, have two children together.