Jada Pinkett Smith Lawsuit: Ex-Friend Wants Will Smith Deposed

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Will Smith could soon become directly involved in the legal fight between Jada Pinkett Smith and his former friend, Bilaal Salaam.

According to newly filed court documents obtained by TMZ, Salaam is now seeking to depose the Oscar winner as part of his ongoing $3 million lawsuit against Jada. The request marks the latest escalation in a case that has already resulted in several of Salaam’s claims being dismissed and Jada securing more than $32,000 in court-awarded attorney fees.

The new dispute surfaced through emails attached to a motion recently filed by Jada Pinkett Smith. In a July 7 email to her attorney, Salaam requested permission to question Will Smith under oath. Jada’s legal team quickly rejected the idea, responding, “As for your proposed deposition of Will Smith, there is nothing to meet and confer about.”

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According to the correspondence, Jada’s attorneys argue that Will has no legal obligation to participate because he is not a defendant in the lawsuit and has not been served with a subpoena.

The deposition dispute emerged as Jada’s legal team pursued its own request before the court. In the same filing, her attorneys are asking a judge to compel Salaam to produce additional evidence supporting his claims, including medical records tied to the emotional distress damages he is seeking.

The lawsuit dates back to late 2025, when Salaam—who has long claimed he was part of Will Smith’s inner circle for decades—accused Jada of threatening him during a confrontation in 2021. Salaam alleges the actress warned he would “end up missing or catch a bullet” if he continued discussing her private affairs publicly.

He also claims she orchestrated a campaign of intimidation after he declined to help manage the fallout from Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars altercation with Chris Rock and after learning he was writing a memoir about the Smith family.

Jada has consistently denied those allegations. She previously dismissed similar claims as “nonsense” during a 2023 appearance on The Breakfast Club, and her attorneys have argued that much of Salaam’s lawsuit targets protected speech.

Earlier this year, a California judge agreed in part, striking several claims under the state’s anti-SLAPP law before ordering Salaam to pay Jada $32,836 in attorney fees. Salaam has since asked the court to reduce that amount, saying he cannot afford the judgment.

The case has continued to generate new disputes in recent weeks. Salaam recently sought another deposition of Jada herself, while her attorneys argued that any additional questioning should be limited because she had already testified in related proceedings covering many of the same issues.