Chad Hugo sues Pharrell Williams over withheld royalties

Pharrell Williams is facing another lawsuit from his former Neptunes partner, Chad Hugo.

In this new lawsuit filed on 23 January, Hugo claims that Williams was “withholding royalties” from him and preventing him from seeing documents that would show what he was owed, reports Billboard.

“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,” Hugo’s lawyer, Brent J Lehman, wrote.

N.E.R.D. was a hip-hop band formed in 1994 by Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, and Shay Haley as a side project of the Neptunes. N.E.R.D.’s debut album, In Search of…, was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The lawsuit claims Hugo is potentially owed up to $1 million (£730,000) by N.E.R.D. and alleges he has not received revenue from the group since 2023.

Hugo and Williams were childhood friends who met in summer camp and formed the Neptunes when performing at a talent show. Together, they produced hits including I’m a Slave 4 U, Drop It Like It’s Hot, and Hollaback Girl. In 2022, they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame together.

Hugo’s first lawsuit against Williams was filed in 2024, and he claimed that Williams filed a trademark for the Neptunes by himself and “acted in bad faith”.

Since then, the Despicable Me singer has confirmed he’s no longer on speaking terms with his former partner.