Former associate seeks court order for Jada Pinkett Smith deposition in lawsuit
Bilaal Salaam, who is suing Jada Pinkett Smith, has asked a judge to compel her to testify within 30 days, alleging she threatened him after he declined to assist Will Smith following the 2022 Oscars incident.
Bilaal Salaam, a former acquaintance of Will Smith, has filed a motion asking a court to require actress Jada Pinkett Smith to appear for a deposition within 30 days. The request follows a missed deposition scheduled for May 20, which Salaam says Pinkett Smith did not attend.
Salaam alleges that Pinkett Smith became upset after he refused to help Will Smith address the fallout from the incident in which Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards. He claims she subsequently authorized third parties to threaten him after learning he intended to publish a memoir that would discuss the Smith family.
Pinkett Smith has denied the accusations and successfully had most of the lawsuit dismissed. Her legal representatives argue that she has already testified in a related proceeding filed by Salaam and that any further questioning should be limited to an hour.
Salaam maintains that Pinkett Smith’s testimony is essential to proving his case and is seeking a court order to secure her participation.
