Pharrell Williams is facing a lawsuit from his former Neptunes partner Chad Hugo, who claims his longtime friend has cut him out of their company and owes him up to $1 million in royalties. The dispute centers on their partnership with N.E.R.D., a hip-hop/rock band that enjoyed success in the 2000s and 2010s.
Williams and Hugo formed a prolific songwriting duo before Williams' rise as a solo superstar, producing hits like "Hot in Herre," "Drop It Like It's Hot," and Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body." They also worked together on N.E.R.D. albums, including the 2017 release "No One Ever Really Dies."
However, Hugo claims that Williams engaged in self-dealing, concealed material information, and diverted revenues owed to him. His attorney, Brent J. Lehman, writes that such willful, fraudulent, and malicious conduct warrants punitive damages.
The lawsuit comes amid a growing tension between the two collaborators. In 2024, Hugo filed another action accusing Pharrell of "fraudulently" seeking sole control over the Neptunes name; that dispute remains pending at a federal trademark tribunal.
Hugo accuses Williams of withholding royalties and refusing to hand over documents that would help him figure out how much he's owed – part of what his lawyers call a "systemic denial" of his rights as a partner. In one passage, Hugo's lawyers say he's potentially owed up to $1 million in damages from the N.E.R.D. album alone.
Pharrell's spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday. The lawsuit is the latest development in a long-standing feud between Williams and Hugo, who were once close friends but are now reportedly no longer on speaking terms.
The conflict began to surface in 2021, when Hugo made repeated efforts to get Pharrell to hand over financial records as required by their operating agreement. However, Pharrell largely ignored the requests, only offering limited and incomplete documents.
In technical legal terms, the lawsuit accuses Williams of breaching his fiduciary duty, seeks an accounting of royalties for both the Neptunes and N.E.R.D., and asks for a declaratory judgment clarifying their rights under the operating agreement.
Williams and Hugo formed a prolific songwriting duo before Williams' rise as a solo superstar, producing hits like "Hot in Herre," "Drop It Like It's Hot," and Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body." They also worked together on N.E.R.D. albums, including the 2017 release "No One Ever Really Dies."
However, Hugo claims that Williams engaged in self-dealing, concealed material information, and diverted revenues owed to him. His attorney, Brent J. Lehman, writes that such willful, fraudulent, and malicious conduct warrants punitive damages.
The lawsuit comes amid a growing tension between the two collaborators. In 2024, Hugo filed another action accusing Pharrell of "fraudulently" seeking sole control over the Neptunes name; that dispute remains pending at a federal trademark tribunal.
Hugo accuses Williams of withholding royalties and refusing to hand over documents that would help him figure out how much he's owed – part of what his lawyers call a "systemic denial" of his rights as a partner. In one passage, Hugo's lawyers say he's potentially owed up to $1 million in damages from the N.E.R.D. album alone.
Pharrell's spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday. The lawsuit is the latest development in a long-standing feud between Williams and Hugo, who were once close friends but are now reportedly no longer on speaking terms.
The conflict began to surface in 2021, when Hugo made repeated efforts to get Pharrell to hand over financial records as required by their operating agreement. However, Pharrell largely ignored the requests, only offering limited and incomplete documents.
In technical legal terms, the lawsuit accuses Williams of breaching his fiduciary duty, seeks an accounting of royalties for both the Neptunes and N.E.R.D., and asks for a declaratory judgment clarifying their rights under the operating agreement.
like i always knew pharrell was super rich but wow $1 million is crazy 
he and chad hugo used to be so close too i remember hearing they were like two peas in a pod 
but now it's all drama and lawsuits 
and i'm just sitting here thinking about how this whole thing could have been avoided if pharrell just shared the receipts 
you know?
does this mean N.E.R.D.'s music isn't owned by Pharrell anymore? what happens to their catalog now? 
it's crazy how much beef these two have, from trademark disputes to royalty battles... guess you could say they're really dropping the hammer on each other 
And what's with all these lawsuits and disputes? It's like, dude, own up to it already! You know Chad was always there for you, producing hits and making N.E.R.D. magic happen... now he's being left high and dry. Not cool, Pharrell! 
.
. These two were like two peas in a pod, creating some amazing music together. Now they're going at each other over money and it's just sad 
. This lawsuit could get ugly if they can't settle it out of court...I hope they can work things out before it goes down to the wire 
.