Jada Pinkett Smith is seeking reimbursement of nearly $49,000 in legal fees from Bilaal Salaam, a former friend of Will Smith, after a California judge dismissed parts of Salaam’s $3 million emotional distress lawsuit against her.
The lawsuit alleged that Pinkett Smith and her associates threatened Salaam over his plans to publish a memoir containing personal information about the Smith family.
Salaam claimed he was recruited to help Will Smith with damage control following the 2022 Oscars incident involving Chris Rock and later faced retaliation.
However, Pinkett Smith’s legal team argued that the claims were “false, uncorroborated and made to generate attention” as part of a harassment campaign.
The judge’s decision to dismiss key emotional distress claims was a significant win for Pinkett Smith, who is now seeking to recover her legal costs. The court is expected to rule on the fee request in the coming weeks.
Bilaal Salaam, a former associate of Will Smith, filed a $3 million emotional distress lawsuit against Jada Pinkett Smith, claiming she threatened him over his plans to publish a memoir with personal information about the Smith family.
The alleged threats were made after Salaam refused to help with damage control following Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars incident involving Chris Rock.
Jada Pinkett Smith has denied all allegations, calling them “false, uncorroborated and made to generate attention” as part of a harassment campaign against her family. A California judge dismissed parts of Salaam’s lawsuit and Pinkett Smith is now seeking nearly $49,000 in legal fees.