Pharrell Williams sued by Neptunes partner for 'fraudulent and malicious conduct' amid claims he owes $1m

Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, as the Neptunes, were the masterminds behind such hits as Snoop Dogg’s Drop It Like It’s Hot and Britney Spears’ I’m A Slave 4 U, but their longtime collaboration has hit a serious snag.

Williams has been slapped with a lawsuit by Hugo, his childhood friend from Virginia and production partner, which was first reported by Billboard.

In documents filed on Friday, January 23, Hugo is accusing Williams of freezing him out of their company.

Hugo claims he’s owed $1 million in damages from the 2017 N.E.R.D. album No One Ever Really Dies alone.

That album turned out the number one hit Lemon with Rihanna, and also featured 1,000 with Future and Don’t Don’t Do It with Kendrick Lamar.

Hugo alleged the music whiz-turned-fashion desigher - who launched his new collection for Louis Vuitton at Paris Fashion Week - 'engaged in self-dealing, concealed material information, and diverted revenues owed.'

Daily Mail has not received a response to its request for comment from reps for Williams.

'Such willful, fraudulent, and malicious conduct warrants the imposition of punitive damages,' Hugo’s attorney, Brent J. Lehman, said in court documents.

Hugo claims Williams has withheld royalties and documents that would help him determine what he is owed.

'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 deals,' Lehman writes.

If this seems like familiar territory, it’s because it is. Back in 2024, Hugo filed a lawsuit accusing his former friend of 'fraudulently' aiming to exclusively control the Neptunes name. That case continues in a federal trademark tribunal.

Before everything imploded, the duo had a phenomenal run as producers, creating some of the most unique hip hop and pop sounds of the past 25 years. They crafted hits for the likes of Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Kelis, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, and Usher.

Williams and Hugo were also part of the hip-hop/rock group N.E.R.D., out which poured another stream of hit albums and songs between the 2000s and 2010s.

In the new legal action, Hugo claims he’s owed big money but hasn’t seen any revenue since 2023, including a N.E.R.D. merchandising partnership and 'at least $325,000-$575,000' from No One Ever Dies with damages potentially running over '$750K to $1M,' per Billboard.

Hugo’s lawyers say Pharrell’s legal team, even in recent weeks, 'promised to produce documents' in regards to the company’s finances, but claim 'no documents were ever produced' that would end the conflict.

'Notably, defendant Williams' counsel admitted having difficulty accessing the documents but acknowledged that such documents exist,' Hugo’s lawyers stated.

In a nutshell, the lawsuit accuses Williams of failing to act in the best interest of his business partner and seeks a report of the royalties for both the Neptunes and N.E.R.D., and asks the court to clarify their rights as set forth in their operating agreement.

'After years of obfuscation by Pharrell and his team, Mr. Hugo had no choice but to seek substantial compensation and accountability in court,' Lehman told Billboard in an emailed statement.

The lawyer added: 'We look forward to presenting the evidence and obtaining the full relief the law provides.'