Pharrell Hit With Lawsuit By Chad Hugo Over Neptunes Royalties

Pharrell Williams is facing a new lawsuit from his former Neptunes bandmate, Chad Hugo, who is accusing the famed producer of financial misconduct.

In a federal California courtroom on Friday (Jan. 23), per court documents obtained by Complex, Hugo claims Williams is guilty of withholding money and mishandling their company’s account records. The pair, who’ve created dozens of hits together as both members of N.E.R.D and the production group, The Neptunes, founded their company N.E.R.D. Music, LLC, back in 2014.

According to the terms of their company, Williams receives 50% company’s funds, which come from “touring and other income,” whereas Hugo and the third N.E.R.D. member, Sheldon “Shay” Haley, each receive 25%. All “merchandising and trademark income” is equally distributed among the three members.

Hugo Claims A ‘significant number’ of songs are missing from his catalogue

Hugo, who refers to his role in their partnership as the “principal composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, and producer responsible for programming, instrumentation, and overall sound design,” claims Williams is required to provide documentation about “income, expenses, royalties, and other financial issues,” but has failed to do so.

However, Hugo claims that since 2021, he has been blocked by Williams from reviewing the company’s financial records. He also claims that he’s yet to receive “[an] 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.”

Additionally, Hugo noted that “a significant number of songs are missing from [Hugo’s] label portals and SoundExchange portals, indicating that Plaintiff has not received the royalties he is entitled to.” For example, just off their 2017 project, No One Ever Really Dies, Hugo claims he’s owed over $1,000,000 alone. Hugo’s attorney, Brent J. Lehman, has yet to make a public statement. Similarly, neither Williams nor his team has yet to offer a comment on the situation.