Jada Pinkett Smith Seeks Mental Exam for Plaintiff in Lawsuit

Jada Pinkett Smith has requested that a Los Angeles court order a five- to six-hour mental health examination for Bilaal Salaam, a musician and former associate of her husband, Will Smith. Salaam is suing Pinkett Smith for intentional infliction of emotional distress, seeking $3 million and alleging her actions caused him significant emotional and physical harm.

Pinkett Smith, who denies Salaam's allegations, contends in a court motion that since Salaam has made his mental and emotional condition the core of his case, he must undergo an examination to substantiate his claims. The proposed examination would involve a psychiatric interview, a mental status examination, and standardized psychological testing, explicitly excluding any physical or invasive procedures.

Salaam's legal complaint, filed in November 2025, states that he and Will Smith had been friends for four decades. The relationship reportedly soured when Salaam declined to provide 'crisis management' services for the actor following the 2022 Academy Awards incident involving Chris Rock. Salaam claimed he refused the offer to avoid performing tasks he deemed illegal, unethical, or morally compromising.

According to the complaint, Salaam alleges that after he rejected the job offer, the Smith family initiated a 'retaliatory campaign' against him. This alleged campaign intensified when news emerged of Salaam writing a memoir about his association with the family. He claims an associate of Pinkett Smith warned him to "end this feud before you get physically hurt" upon learning of the potential book.

Salaam further claims that tension with the family predated the Academy Awards incident. He alleges that Pinkett Smith was "verbally aggressive" toward him at a September 2021 gathering for Will Smith's 53rd birthday. During this encounter, Salaam claims Pinkett Smith, accompanied by an entourage, threatened him, stating he would "wind up missing, or catch a bullet" if he continued to discuss the family's private matters publicly. He also alleges she demanded he sign a non-disclosure agreement at the event.

As a result of the alleged distress caused by Pinkett Smith's actions, Salaam claims he spent 18 months living outside the U.S. in fear for his safety. This period away from home, he states, prevented him from being present with his children and led to the end of a long-term romantic relationship. Salaam also reports suffering health consequences, including a 100-pound weight gain and diagnoses of high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.

Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars ceremony after Rock made a joke referencing Pinkett Smith's shaved head, which is due to alopecia. Smith later apologized for his actions, stating his wife had no involvement in his decision to slap Rock and that he made the choice based on his own experiences. Smith resigned from the Academy and received a 10-year ban from the Oscars.