Will Smith could soon become a co-defendant in the $3 million lawsuit involving his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and the couple’s former friend Bilaal Salaam.
Salaam filed a motion on Aug. 18 asking to add Smith to his emotional distress lawsuit against Pinkett Smith. According to court documents cited by USA TODAY, a Los Angeles judge has ordered the couple to respond to the request within 30 days of being served.
Salaam originally filed suit against Pinkett Smith in November, accusing her of threatening and intimidating him in an effort to keep him from discussing his experiences with the couple or publishing a memoir. Pinkett Smith has denied the allegations and previously characterized Salaam’s claims as an attempt to extort her.
In his latest filing, Salaam alleges that Will Smith was directly involved in at least one of the alleged incidents.
Salaam claims that during an October 2021 phone call, Pinkett Smith threatened to have him “killed” if he continued discussing her personal business or moved forward with his memoir. He alleges Smith was present during the conversation and responded, “you heard what my wife said.” Salaam argues that Smith’s alleged response amounted to personally affirming the threat.
The lawsuit also details an alleged confrontation at Smith’s birthday party the previous month. Salaam claims Pinkett Smith and members of her entourage warned him that he could “end up missing or catch a bullet” if he continued speaking publicly about her personal affairs.
Salaam also points to events following the 2022 Academy Awards, when Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock onstage after Rock made a joke involving Pinkett Smith. Salaam says he was approached about assisting with crisis management following the incident but declined. He alleges that afterward, an individual with a longstanding professional relationship with Smith threatened him with physical harm.
Salaam further alleges there was an effort to persuade him to publicly retract previous statements in exchange for payment and that he was warned against publishing his memoir or participating in additional interviews.
Pinkett Smith has denied Salaam’s accusations. Her attorney has also previously argued that Will Smith was not a party to the litigation.
The court will now consider Salaam’s request to formally add Smith as a co-defendant as the $3 million lawsuit moves forward.
