Jada Pinkett Smith sued for $3 million over alleged smear campaign

American actress and businesswoman Jada Pinkett Smith is facing a $3 million lawsuit filed by Bilaal Salaam, a former associate of her husband, Will Smith.

The lawsuit alleged that Jada orchestrated a smear campaign against Salaam after an altercation at Will’s birthday party in September 2021.

According to the lawsuit, Jada confronted Salaam with approximately seven members of her entourage, becoming verbally aggressive. She allegedly threatened him, saying that if he continued to disclose personal information, he could “end up missing or catch a bullet” and demanded that he sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

The suit further claimed that one of Jada’s associates followed Salaam to his vehicle, continuing to issue threats.

Less than a year later, following the 2022 Academy Awards incident where Will slapped Chris Rock onstage, Salaam states he was approached for “crisis management” assistance. However, he declined to participate, expressing in his legal filing that his “conscience would not allow him to be involved in any cover-up or deceptive PR campaign”.