Jada Pinkett Smith is asking a judge to order Will Smith’s former friend Bilaal Salaam to cover nearly $49,000 in legal costs after part of his emotional distress lawsuit against her was dismissed.
According to court documents reviewed by TMZPinkett Smith argued that Salaam should be responsible for the expenses she incurred in defending herself.
Salaam filed a $3 million emotional distress lawsuit last year, claiming he was brought in to help Smith with damage control following the 2022 Oscars slapping incident involving Chris Rock.
Salaam alleged that Pinkett Smith and members of his entourage threatened him after learning he was working on a memoir.
Apparently, he was even warned that he might “end up disappearing” or “catch a bullet” if he continued to “tell her his personal affairs”.
He also claimed she pressured him into signing a nondisclosure agreement under implied threat.
Pinkett Smith has categorically refuted all of these claims, calling them “false, unsubstantiated and designed to attract attention as part of an ongoing public campaign of harassment.”
She further argued that Salaam failed to provide evidence to support his claims that he lost a girlfriend, left the country, or suffered health problems due to distress.
Although parts of the lawsuit were dismissed, the case remains ongoing.
