Jada Pinkett Smith reveals if she still lives with husband Will Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith chats with USA TODAY’s Erin Jensen about the revelations surrounding her husband Will Smith in her new memoir, “Worthy.”
Will Smith is being pulled into the ongoing legal battle between his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and his former friend, Bilaal Salaam.
The latest filing in the case revealed a July 7 email correspondence in which Salaam, who is suing Pinkett Smith, 54, for $3 million for intentional infliction of emotional distress, requested that “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” alum, 57, testify in a deposition, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
Pinkett Smith’s attorney, Courtney L. Puritsky, pushed back in response, writing, “As for your proposed deposition of Will Smith, there is nothing to meet and confer about. Mr. Smith is not a party to this litigation.”
She added that Salaam, who is representing himself, “must comply with the applicable procedures for obtaining discovery from a nonparty,” such as issuing a subpoena. However, “as far as we are aware, no subpoena has been served on Mr. Smith,” Puritsky wrote.
The communication was included in the former “Red Table Talk” host’s July 15 motion to compel Salaam to provide additional evidence, including “medical records supporting the physical and emotional injuries for which he seeks millions of dollars in damages.”
Why is Bilaal Salaam suing Jada Pinkett Smith?
Salaam filed the suit in November, accusing Pinkett Smith of threatening him on multiple occasions, per his official complaint previously obtained by USA TODAY.
Among the alleged incidents was one that occurred at a private birthday gathering for Smith in 2021, where Salaam alleged Pinkett Smith and “seven members of her entourage” told him he would “end up missing or catch a bullet” if he continued to talk about her “personal business.”
Another incident allegedly took place in 2022 when Salaam said he was asked to help with “crisis management” after that year’s Oscars ceremony, during which Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage for a comment the comedian made about Pinkett Smith. Salaam said he refused and accused the couple of launching a “retaliatory campaign” against him, which worsened when they learned he was writing a memoir about his experiences with the family.
After Salaam spoke about them in a public interview in November 2023, Pinkett Smith responded in her own interviews, alleging that Salaam attempted a “money shakedown” to extort her and her husband. She also declared her intentions to sue Salaam.
When he filed his complaint years later, Pinkett Smith countersued, citing California’s anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) statute. She claimed that each of Salaam’s causes of action arose “from protected activity,” including his alleged public disclosure of the contents of a cease-and-desist letter.
Pinkett Smith’s motion was granted in part in April, and “all allegations relating to the public media statements” were struck from Salaam’s complaint. A judge further ordered him to pay her back for a total of $32,836 in attorneys costs accrued for that fight.
Salaam is still seeking $3 million in damages, along with interest, costs of the suit and a public retraction of any “false and defamatory” statements he claimed Pinkett Smith has made about him. The judge denied his request for a trial and set their next court date for Aug. 19.