Will Smith is not the one being sued–but he’s suddenly at the center of the latest twist in Jada Pinkett Smith’s ongoing legal battle.
Court filings obtained by E! Newsshow that Brother Bilaal (also known as Bilaal Salaam) wants to question the Oscar winner as part of his $3 million lawsuit against Pinkett Smith, accusing her of orchestrating a campaign to damage his reputation.
In an email included in a July 15 court filing, Salaam–who is representing himself–said he wanted to spend the first 10 minutes of a scheduled 30-minute call discussing his request to depose Smith.
Jada’s attorney quickly pushed back, “Mr Smith is not a party to this litigation.”
The lawyer further added: “To the extent you seek his deposition, you must comply with the applicable procedures for obtaining discovery from a nonparty. As far as we are aware, no subpoena has been served on Mr Smith.”
Salaam’s lawsuit alleges that during Smith’s 53rd birthday celebration in 2021, Pinkett Smith warned him that if he kept sharing her personal business, he would “end up missing or catch a bullet.”
He also claims she pressured him to sign an NDA “or else,” allegations she has denied.
As per filing, Pinkett Smith’s legal team is now asking the court to require Salaam to hand over recordings he says support his claims, along with medical records tied to the emotional and physical damages he is seeking.
“Plaintiff has not unequivocally agreed to produce recordings,” the motion stated, adding that Salaam has also declined to confirm whether he will provide records supporting the injuries for which he seeks compensation.
For now, Will Smith remains a nonparty–but his name is becoming increasingly difficult to keep out of the room.
2026-07-18 12:25:00
