Jada Pinkett Smith is facing explosive accusations from Bilaal Salaam, a man who says he was Will Smith’s “best friend for nearly 40 years.”
In a new lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Salaam claims Jada confronted him at a hotel in Calabasas during Will’s 53rd birthday gathering in 2021 — with a group of seven people behind her — and allegedly warned him that he would “end up missing” or “catch a bullet” if he didn’t stop talking about her personal life.
He says she demanded he sign a non-disclosure agreement “or else,” forcing him to leave, while one of her associates allegedly followed him with more threats, Daily Mail reported.
Salaam — who appeared in Will’s 2000 film The Legend of Bagger Vance — says the incident destroyed his peace, caused severe emotional trauma, triggered health issues including high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes, and even led to a 100-pound weight gain.
He claims he went into self-exile for almost two years, losing his long-term relationship and time with his children.
Speaking after filing the suit, he said he is “seeking justice for the atrocities committed against me by Will and Jada,” adding that he plans to file a separate case against Will.
Salaam also says the threats continued after the 2022 Oscars slap. Actor Duane Martin allegedly contacted him to help with crisis management, but Salaam refused, saying he didn’t want to be part of a “cover-up.”
According to him, Martin warned he would have “serious problems with Jada” if he didn’t cooperate — and three more threats followed from Will’s associates.
He says things escalated further when news broke that he was writing a memoir about his years around the Smith family.
Salaam is even suing Jada for emotional distress over her public denial that she ever saw Will behave intimately with men — a denial he claims was meant to paint him as a liar. He says he had previously released a video showing Will touching actor Alfonso Ribeiro inappropriately in front of Jada and their children.
According to him, Jada’s comments led to ridicule and destroyed his luxury jewelry brand, which he says had celebrity supporters. He also claims he lost a $500,000 book advance because he became too emotionally overwhelmed to continue the memoir.
The lawsuit further accuses Jada of launching a smear campaign on radio, allegedly claiming Salaam attempted a “money shakedown” and suggesting extortion — statements he says were false and damaging.
She also reportedly said she and Will planned to sue him but never followed through, which he claims was part of an effort to discredit him.
All of this ties back to Salaam’s long-standing allegation that he once walked in on Will Smith and Duane Martin being intimate — a claim the Smiths have never publicly validated.
Representatives for Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith did not respond to requests for comment.
