Will Smith‘s name is being dragged into a legal battle between his ex Jada Pinkett Smithand 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.”
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Jada Pinkett Smith Accused of Telling Will Smith’s Pal He Would “Catch a Bullet” in $3 Million Lawsuit
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.
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.
Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage
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.”
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.”
“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.”
