Jada Pinkett Smith has filed a motion asking a California court to order Bilaal Salaam — the man who sued her for $3 million in December 2025 — to cover $49,181.23 in attorney’s fees. She incurred these fees while she was successfully having three of his claims dismissed.
The motion, filed April 20 and obtained by People, requests that Salaam pay the sum as “an award of her reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred” following her partial victory under California’s anti-SLAPP statute. However, the court has not yet ruled on the fee request concerning Jada Pinkett Smith.
Background on the Jada Pinkett Smith Lawsuit
Salaam, also known as Brother Bilaal, filed the $3 million complaint in December 2025, alleging intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED) across three separate claims. Central to the lawsuit was an alleged confrontation Salaam said took place in September 2021 in the lobby of the Regency Calabasas Commons. During the incident, he claims Pinkett Smith threatened him. She allegedly told him he would “end up missing or catch a bullet” if he continued “telling her personal business.”
In February 2026, Pinkett Smith asked the court to strike Salaam’s complaint in its entirety. She argued the lawsuit conflicted with California’s Anti-SLAPP statute. This statute provides a mechanism to dismiss meritless claims arising from protected activity at an early stage of litigation, and has major relevance in legal battles faced by Jada Pinkett Smith.
Court Rules in Jada Pinkett Smith’s Favor on Key Claims
The court granted Pinkett Smith’s motion in part, striking all three IIED claims and related allegations. According to the April 20 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.” This outcome strengthened the legal position of Jada Pinkett Smith.
The cease-and-desist letter, which the Smiths had sent to Salaam and which Salaam then publicly disclosed, was the subject of key legal dispute. Pinkett Smith’s attorneys argued the letter constituted protected pre-litigation activity. Specifically, “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.” For Jada Pinkett Smith, this point proved central to defending her rights.
Salaam’s lawsuit had alleged that after Pinkett Smith’s public comments about him, she “never filed a lawsuit,”. And that her statements amounted to a “smear campaign through nationally broadcast interviews.” With the court striking those three IIED claims, Pinkett Smith argues she is entitled to recover attorney’s fees under California law, and Jada Pinkett Smith maintains that her actions were justified.
Origins of the Dispute
The lawsuit has its origins in a 2023 interview Salaam gave to the YouTube program Unwine With Tasha K. During which he alleged that he walked in on Will Smith engaged in a sexual act with actor Duane Martin. Pinkett Smith denied the claim publicly. She called it “nonsense” in a 2023 interview on The Breakfast Club. Further, she also told TMZ at the time that she and Smith intended to pursue legal action. These statements by Jada Pinkett Smith became a turning point in the dispute.
Salaam’s December 2025 lawsuit accused Pinkett Smith of exploiting the situation to “manipulate public opinion. And damage Plaintiff’s character” through media appearances rather than through the courts. For Jada Pinkett Smith, the allegations went beyond public appearances and struck at her reputation.
Jada Pinkett Smith’s Next Steps
The court has not issued a ruling on the $49,181.23 fee request. People has reached out to Pinkett Smith’s attorneys for comment. Separate claims in the broader lawsuit remain active and have not been dismissed. Moving forward, Jada Pinkett Smith must wait for the court’s response on attorney’s fees and monitor the progress of the remaining claims.
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