Pharrell Williams sued by Neptunes partner Chad Hugo
Pharrell Williams has been sued by his former Neptunes partner Chad Hugo.
The pair met as children at summer camp and later became a force as hitmakers, producing tracks for everybody from Jay-Z and Britney Spears, as well as forming two-thirds of N.E.R.D., who released five albums together.
Songs produced by the Neptunes include ‘Hollaback Girl’ by Gwen Stefani, ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’ by Snoop Dogg and ‘Milkshake’ by Kelis.
However, per Billboard, Hugo filed a lawsuit against his former friend on January 23rd, accusing Williams of not being transparent in regards to their finances.
Hugo’s attorney, Brent J Lehman, reportedly wrote in the legal filing, “Williams engaged in self-dealing, concealed material information, and … diverted revenues owed to plaintiff.”
Lehman continued, “Such willful, fraudulent, and malicious conduct warrants the imposition of punitive damages.”
Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that Hugo could be owed up to $1 million in royalties in relation to N.E.R.D.’s 2017 album, No One Ever Really Dies. While it’s estimated by lawyers that the fee is “at least $325,000-$575,000”, they also wrote that “potential damages” could be “exceeding $750k-$1M”.
Lehman claims, “Plaintiff has not received his appropriate share of royalties in connection with The Neptunes and N.E.R.D.’s album sales and released music, as well as distributions from touring income, and various merchandising deal.”
They also accuse Williams of “persistent failure to provide [financial records]”, which they claim “constitutes a breach of the operating agreement”.
This is the second legal filing that Hugo has made against Williams. Previously, in 2024, Hugo accused Williams of “fraudulently” attempting to gain control of the Neptunes’ name, which remains an active and ongoing case.
Following the last lawsuit being filed, Williams confirmed they were no longer on speaking terms. He said in a 2024 interview, “I love him, and I always wish him the absolute best, and I’m very grateful for our time together.”
Williams is yet to respond to the new lawsuit.
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