The Neptunes were among some of the greatest producers of all time. They started as friends since they were kids back in Virginia. With time, they were ruling hip-hop, R&B, and pop airwaves with an iron grip for years. Moreover, they were best friends, seamlessly playing off of each other’s strongest musical instincts. However, now it seems that their fruitful friendship has turned sour. And Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo are currently in court against each other over it.
In a January 2026 report from Billboard, it was revealed that Hugo sued Williams. Apparently, Chad Hugo has been harshly cut from their company. Moreover, Pharrell still owes him a ton of money from one of their N.E.R.D. albums. These are a couple of the many alleged wrongdoings that Hugo outlines in his lawsuit. “Williams engaged in self-dealing, concealed material information, and … diverted revenues owed to plaintiff,” Hugo’s attorney wrote. “Such willful, fraudulent, and malicious conduct warrants the imposition of punitive damages.”
More specifically, it has been alleged that the “Happy” crooner has been particularly dodgy over royalties. Chad Hugo accuses him of withholding the proper documentation that would allow him to see how much he’s truly owed. His lawyers call it a “systemic denial” orchestrated by his former partner. In one portion of the lawsuit, Hugo’s lawyers suggest that he’s owed up to $1 million for the 2017 N.E.R.D. album No One Ever Really Dies.
Pharrell Is Battling With Former Neptunes Partner Chad Hugo in an Ugly Lawsuit
“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,” the attorney continued.
These issues between Pharrell and Chad Hugo have been brewing for years now. Hugo’s lawyers have been hard at work trying to communicate with Williams and his team over the aforementioned documents. However, these attempts have allegedly gone largely ignored or willfully made “limited” and “incomplete.”
“Defendant Williams’ persistent failure to provide [financial records] constitutes a breach of the operating agreement,” Hugo’s lawyers added. “Plaintiff has been deprived of the transparency necessary to evaluate buyout proposals, confirm the calculation and categorization of distributions owed to him … and assess revenues.”
All of this comes on the heels of Pharrell himself admitting that he doesn’t talk to Chad Hugo anymore after decades of friendship. Ultimately, he still wished the best for him and remained thankful for their work and time spent. “But I love him, and I always wish him the absolute best, and I’m very grateful for our time together,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
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