Jada Pinkett Smith Seeks $49K in Legal Fees from Will Smith's Ex-Friend After Fighting His Lawsuit
Jada Pinkett Smith Seeks $49K in Legal Fees from Will Smith's Ex-Friend After Fighting His Lawsuit
Staff AuthorFri, April 24, 2026 at 7:43 PM UTC
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Credit: MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty -
Jada Pinkett Smith is seeking more than $49,000 in legal fees after successfully striking down part of Bilaal Salaam's lawsuit against her
Salaam sued Pinkett Smith for intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED) in a $3 million lawsuit filed in December 2025
The court ruled Salaam's three IIED claims conflicted with California's anti-SLAPP statute
Jada Pinkett Smith is asking a California court to ensure that Bilaal Salaam, who sued her for $3 million in a lawsuit filed in December 2025, must cover the legal fees she incurred as the defendant.
In a new motion filed on April 20 and obtained by PEOPLE, Pinkett Smith requests that Salaam pay $49,181.23. This sum represents "an award of her reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred" when she successfully struck down Salaam's three intentional infliction of emotional distress claims, plus "further fees and costs associated with this motion."
In February, Pinkett Smith asked the court to strike Salaam's complaint in its entirety, alleging that the lawsuit conflicts with California's anti-SLAPP statute. The state's Anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) Act "provides a procedure for weeding out, at an early stage, meritless claims arising from protected activity," per the motion.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith attend the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, CaliforniaCredit: David Livingston/Getty
The protected activity included a cease and desist letter Salaam received from the Smiths, which Smith's motion alleged Salaam publicly disclosed the contents of: "That letter was not a public statement at all. It was classic pre-litigation activity — confidential legal correspondence sent by counsel in anticipation of litigation — and is independently protected under California law."
According to the latest April filing, Pinkett Smith "prevailed on her anti-SLAPP motion and struck all allegations relating to the public media statements that formed the basis for Plaintiff’s three causes of action, as well as additional allegations regarding a cease-and-desist letter."
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Salaam (also known as Brother Bilaal) initially filed the $3 million complaint in December 2025, alleging that the actress confronted him in the lobby of the Regency Calabasas Commons in September 2021 and threatened him. Salaam's complaint also alleged that Pinkett Smith told him he would "end up missing or catch a bullet" if he continued "telling her personal business."
In a 2023 sit-down with Unwine With Tasha K, Salaam alleged that he walked in on Smith engaging in a sexual act with actor Duane Martin.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith attend the Los Angeles premiere of "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 30, 2024Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty
Following Salaam's allegations, Pinkett Smith called his claims "nonsense" in a 2023 interview with The Breakfast Club. She also told TMZ that she and Smith intended to pursue legal action in response to his claims.
"Defendant never filed a lawsuit. The statement was false, reckless, and made with malicious intent to manipulate public opinion and damage Plaintiff's character," Salaam's lawsuit claimed. "Rather than pursue legal recourse or report actual crimes, Defendant intentionally and maliciously engaged in a smear campaign through nationally broadcast interviews."
Salaam ultimately sued for intentional infliction of emotional distress — three claims that Pinkett Smith had "thrown out" by the court, per her latest motion, and that "she should be awarded her full attorneys’ fees as a result."
PEOPLE has reached out to Pinkett Smith's attorneys for comment on the motion.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
