Jada Pinkett Smith Asks Court to Dismiss $3 Million Lawsuit Filed by Will Smith's Former Friend, Who Alleges Actress Threatened Him

The lawsuit, filed by Bilaal Salaam, alleges that Pinkett Smith threatened Salaam after he claimed to have seen her husband Will Smith engaged in a sexual act

NEED TO KNOW

• Jada Pinkett Smith is asking a California court to dismiss a $3 million lawsuit filed against her by Bilaal Salaam, a former friend of her husband, Will Smith
• Pinkett Smith’s new motion filed in Los Angeles Superior Court alleges that Salaam’s lawsuit is an attempt to suppress her protected free speech activity, and denies that she was “verbally abusive”
• Salaam has alleged that Pinkett Smith told him he would “end up missing or catch a bullet” after he claimed to have walked in on Smith engaging in a sexual act with Duane Martin

Jada Pinkett Smith is asking a California court to dismiss a $3 million lawsuit filed by Bilaal Salaam in December 2025, in which he alleges that Pinkett Smith threatened him at a hotel.

In a new motion obtained by PEOPLE on Monday, Feb. 16, Pinkett Smith asks the court to strike Salaam's complaint in its entirety, alleging that the lawsuit is in conflict with California's anti-SLAPP statute. The state's Anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) Act "provides a procedure for weeding out, at an early stage, meritless claims arising from protected activity," per the motion.

The lawsuit references public comments made by Pinkett Smith after Salaam claimed on the Unwine With Tasha K podcast that he walked in on her husband Will Smith engaging in a sexual act with actor Duane Martin.

Following Salaam's allegations, Pinkett Smith called his claims "nonsense" in an interview with The Breakfast Club.

"Plaintiff voluntarily gave media interviews claiming – without evidence – that he personally witnessed her husband, actor Will Smith, engaging in sexual acts," the motion to dismiss reads. "Plaintiff’s allegations were false, uncorroborated, and made to generate attention as part of an ongoing public campaign of harassment directed at Defendant and her family."

The motion also references Pinkett Smith's comment to TMZ following The Breakfast Club appearance, in which she told the outlet "we're suin'" in response to Salaam's claims regarding her husband.

Salaam (also known as Brother Bilaal) filed the $3 million complaint in December 2025, alleging that the actress confronted him in the lobby of the Regency Calabasas Commons in September 2021 and threatened him. The complaint alleges that Pinkett Smith told Salaam that he would "end up missing or catch a bullet."

The motion also alleges that Salaam publicly disclosed the contents of a cease and desist letter he received from the Smiths. "That letter was not a public statement at all. It was classic pre-litigation activity – confidential legal correspondence sent by counsel in anticipation of litigation – and is independently protected under California law," the motion continues.

In his initial complaint, Salaam alleged that he was contacted by Duane Martin, who he says told him that Smith and Pinkett Smith urgently needed assistance with "crisis management" following Smith notably slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards, and the fallout following the incident.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Salaam claimed that he was asked to perform tasks that he believed were “illegal, unethical, or morally compromising,” and that he was warned he would face “serious problems” if he refused.

He additionally alleged that he received threats from people in Smith and Pinkett Smith's circle and was the target of a "retaliatory campaign" that was "launched against him." Salaam claims that he faced further threats after it was discovered that he was writing a "whistleblower memoir" about his time with the Smiths.

Pinkett Smith married Smith in 1997. In 2023 she announced that the two had been separated for seven years. They are parents to son Jaden, 27, and daughter Willow, 25. The Bad Boys star also shares son Trey, 33, with ex-wife Sheree Zampino.

Amid the claims from Salaam, a source previously told PEOPLE exclusively that Smith and Pinkett Smith's relationship "is still good. They spend time together and time apart."

PEOPLE has reached out to an attorney for Pinkett Smith for comment on the motion.

Read the full article here