Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are shutting down the noise around a new $3 million lawsuit filed by former associate Bilaal Salaam. A source close to the couple told PEOPLE that they are “really mad” about the claims and consider the entire lawsuit “a lot of crap.” They believe Salaam is exploiting their fame for a financial payday.
The legal action stems from a 2021 encounter where Salaam says Jada threatened him during a private event. According to the complaint, she warned that if he continued “telling her personal business,” he would “end up missing or catch a bullet,” and allegedly pressured him to sign a nondisclosure agreement.
Salaam also claims that after refusing to help manage the fallout from Will Smith’s infamous Oscars slap, he was harassed, defamed, and targeted by the couple’s inner circle. He’s seeking $3 million for what he describes as emotional distress and professional harm.
But for the Smiths, the lawsuit reads like a betrayal. After nearly four decades of friendship, they say Salaam’s accusations are not just false but clearly driven by money and resentment. Though the couple hasn’t issued a formal public statement, their inner circle is making their stance loud and clear; they’re not backing down.
