Pharrell Williams Sued By Former Neptunes Companion Chad Hugo

[ad_1] by Jeroslyn JoVonn January 26, 2026

Pharrell Williams is being sued by former buddy and longtime collaborator Chad Hugo, who alleges he has been denied the group’s royalties.

Pharrell Williams is being sued by his former Neptunes and N.E.R.D. associate, Chad Hugo, who accuses his former buddy and collaborator of withholding cash and failing to supply correct accounting of their firm’s funds.

In a federal lawsuit filed in California on Jan. 23, Hugo—who describes his position within the Neptunes partnership because the “principal composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, and producer answerable for programming, instrumentation, and general sound design”—claims that Williams excluded him from their firm and owes him as much as $1 million from an N.E.R.D. album, Complicated experiences.

“Williams engaged in self-dealing, hid materials info, and … diverted revenues owed to plaintiff,” Hugo’s lawyer, Brent J. Lehman, stated. “Such willful, fraudulent, and malicious conduct warrants the imposition of punitive damages.”

Within the lawsuit, Hugo recounts his decades-long relationship with Williams, which started with their childhood friendship in Virginia Seashore, Virginia, and led to the formation of the Neptunes within the early ’90s. Collectively, they produced a string of hits—Nelly’s “Scorching in Herre,” Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Scorching,” Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Lady,” and Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Physique”—and, together with Sheldon ‘Shay’ Haley, carried out because the group N.E.R.D.

Hugo’s dispute with Williams facilities on their firm, N.E.R.D. Music, LLC, which they fashioned in 2014. Hugo claims Williams, answerable for reporting revenue, bills, and royalties, failed to take action. Beneath the corporate’s phrases, Williams receives half of touring and different revenue, whereas Hugo and Haley every get 25%, with merchandising and trademark revenue cut up equally.

Hugo says he has struggled since 2021 to entry the corporate’s monetary information from Williams, claiming he hasn’t obtained his correct share of royalties from Neptunes and N.E.R.D. music, touring, and merchandise. He factors to lacking songs on SoundExchange portals as proof, estimating he's owed between $325,000 and over $1 million from N.E.R.D.’s 2017 album No One Ever Actually Dies.

“Plaintiff has not obtained his applicable share of royalties in reference to The Neptunes and N.E.R.D.’s album gross sales and launched music, in addition to distributions from touring revenue, and numerous merchandising offers,” Lehman writes.

That is Hugo’s second latest authorized motion towards Williams, following his 2024 lawsuit accusing Williams of fraudulently looking for sole management of the Neptunes title—a case nonetheless pending earlier than a federal trademark tribunal. A rep for Williams has launched a response to the newest lawsuit, claiming {that a} “normal accounting evaluation is already in progress.”

“The lawsuit filed is untimely as there might not even be a dispute between the events,” the rep stated. “If the accounting evaluation determines that cash is owed, the suitable occasion pays it. Pharrell has constantly acted in good religion. He has nice respect for Chad and appears ahead to resolving this in a approach that honors their shared historical past.”