Who is brother Bilaal? Alleged former assistant and best friend of Will Smith accuses Jada Pinkett Smith of threatening his life in $3M lawsuit

Debbie Allen
Bilaal Salaam accuses Jada Pinkett Smith of harassment (image via Getty)

Brother Bilaal or Bilaal Salaam filed a lawsuit against Jada Pinkett Smith on November 7, in which he referred to himself as Will Smith's "best friend for nearly 40 years." He made a cameo appearance in Will Smith's 2000 movie The Legend of Bagger Vance and was also mentioned in Will's published memoir.

As per Page Six, Bilaal is accusing Jada of allegedly threatening harm to him for revealing details about her personal life. He accused Jada of inflicting "emotional distress" and is seeking $3 million in damages.

He is self-represented and filed the lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court.

As per documents obtained by The Daily Mail, Bilaal, in his filing notes, claims that Jada Pinkett Smith, with a group of seven, confronted him in the lobby of Regency Calabasas Common on Will's birthday party on September 25, 2021. The lawsuit claims,

"While in the lobby, Jada Pinkett Smith approached Plaintiff with approximately seven members of her entourage, became verbally aggressive, and threatened Plaintiff by stating that if he continued 'telling her personal business', he would 'end up missing or catch a bullet', and demanded he sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) 'or else'."

Bilaal Salaam also alleges that Jada's associate then followed him to his car and continued making verbal threats against him.


Bilaal Salaam claims that Jada Pinkett Smith began a smear campaign against him

Bilaal Salaam, in his court filing, alleges that Jada Pinkett Smith's threats caused him harrowing consequences, including PTSD, onset of high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes, along with gaining 100 pounds. He also claimed that he was "forced into self-exile for nearly 2 years," which cost him his long-term romantic relationship.

Apple Original Films' "Emancipation"  Los Angeles Premiere - Arrivals - Source: Getty
Apple Original Films' "Emancipation" Los Angeles Premiere - Arrivals - Source: Getty

Salaam also claimed that after the 2021 hotel lobby incident, Jada Pinkett Smith targeted him again in 2022 after the famous Oscars incident. At the Oscars 2022, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock after the latter made a joke about Jada's alopecia. According to PEOPLE, Salaam claims that he started receiving threats from Will and Jada's circle after he refused to assist a mutual friend with "crisis management" after the Oscars incident. The filing alleges,

"Plaintiff refused to perform tasks he believed were illegal, unethical, or morally compromising, stating his conscience would not allow him to be involved in any cover-up or deceptive PR campaign."

Salaam also claimed that Jada's manager threatened him to "work something out" or to "end this feud before you get physically hurt" in relation to the whistleblower memoir he was planning to release about his time with the Smiths. Salaam was projected to receive a $500,000 advance, but was suspended out of "fear and emotional collapse," as per The Daily Mail.

He also accused Jada Pinkett-Smith of launching a "coordinated media smear campaign" by appearing on an iHeartRadio program where Jada "falsely stated" that Salaam "had attempted a money shakedown" and suggested that he engaged in criminal extortion.

Jada and Will Smith have yet to respond to Bilaal Salaam's lawsuit. Salaam, while speaking to The Daily Mail in an exclusive report, also claimed that he plans to file a lawsuit against Will Smith as well.

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Edited by IRMA