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Neptunes Partner Sues Pharrell Over Royalties
24 Jan
Summary
- Chad Hugo is suing Pharrell Williams for alleged unpaid royalties.
- Hugo claims he is owed up to $1 million from N.E.R.D. album sales.
- The lawsuit details accusations of self-dealing and concealed information.
Chad Hugo, formerly of the hit-making duo The Neptunes, has filed a lawsuit against his longtime partner Pharrell Williams. The suit, initiated on January 23, 2026, alleges Williams engaged in "self-dealing," concealed financial information, and diverted revenues owed to Hugo. Hugo claims to be owed as much as $1 million, with a significant portion potentially stemming from the 2017 N.E.R.D. album "No One Ever Really Dies."
Hugo's legal team has reportedly been seeking financial disclosures since 2021, sending demand letters over the past four years. They assert that Williams has largely ignored these requests, providing only "limited" and "incomplete" documents, thus breaching their operating agreement. This new legal action broadens the scope of their existing disputes, including a pending trademark case over "The Neptunes" name.
The former collaborators, who produced major hits for artists like Nelly and Justin Timberlake, continued to work together between 2020 and 2022. Despite recent studio sessions and induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024, underlying tensions escalated, leading to Hugo's current legal demands. Williams' representatives have not yet commented on the lawsuit.
