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Chad Hugo has taken legal action against his former producing partner Pharrell Williams over a royalties dispute.
Hugo, a co-founder of The Neptunes alongside Williams, has accused the singer-songwriter of breach of fiduciary duty and failure to account for money earned in a lawsuit filed on Friday.
The 51-year-old lawsuit claims a debt of $1 million tied to their N.E.R.D album, released in 2017, alleging that Williams has systematically denied him the royalties he is entitled to.
His attorney, Brent J. Lehmna, stated that Williams engaged in self-dealing and concealed essential information from Hugo, which resulted in revenue diversion that should have been attributed to his partner.
The Friday lawsuit is not Hugo's first against Williams, as in 2024, he accused Williams of attempting to gain sole control of the trademark associated with their work as The Neptunes.
Hugo alleged that Williams registered three trademarks without his consent, violating their agreement to share everything equally.
Following the 2024 legal dispute, the producing duo reportedly stopped contacting each other.
