- - Pharrell accused of cutting longtime collaborator out of profits and deals

KiMi Robinson, USA TODAYJanuary 28, 2026 at 8:51 AM

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Chad Hugo is once again taking his former musical collaborator Pharrell Williams to court.

In a civil complaint filed in California federal court on Jan. 23, and obtained by USA TODAY on Jan. 27, Hugo accused Pharrell of withholding profits from their musical ventures N.E.R.D. and The Neptunes.

He also alleged Pharrell of exercising control over revenues "over an extended period" of time, with Hugo claiming he "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 cofounded the rock/hip-hop musical group N.E.R.D. alongside Pharrell and Sheldon "Shay" Haley and was also the other half of the production duo The Neptunes, which produced hits for the likes of Britney Spears ("I'm a Slave 4 U"), Justin Timberlake ("Rock Your Body") and Jay-Z ("I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)").

Inductees Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes pose backstage at the Songwriters Hall of Fame 51st Annual Induction and Awards Gala at Marriott Marquis on June 16, 2022, in New York City.

Hugo called the musical ventures "two of the most influential musical forces of their generation, whose innovative, genre-blending sound helped shape modern hip-hop, R&B, and pop music." The two met as teenagers in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in the '80s and founded The Neptunes in the late '90s.

The duo was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022 for their work as The Neptunes.

USA TODAY has reached out to Pharrell's representative for comment.

In a statement issued to Billboard, Pharrell's camp said that "A standard accounting review is already in progress."

"The lawsuit filed is premature as there may not even be a dispute between the parties. If the accounting review determines that money is owed, the appropriate party will pay it," per the statement. "Pharrell has consistently acted in good faith. He has great respect for Chad and looks forward to resolving this in a way that honors their shared history."

Chad Hugo says he hasn't been profiting from The Neptunes' success

Hugo has been attempting to obtain the financial records since 2021, per the lawsuit – an effort that his lawyers say has resulted in Pharrell handing over "only a limited subset of documents." They are seeking monthly income-and-expense statements, access to financial records, copies of third-party royalty statements and annual financial statements.

"Upon review of the incomplete financial records produced by Defendant Williams, it appears that little revenue has been allocated to [Hugo] from The Neptunes Entities’ profits, which is inconsistent with The Neptunes’ evident commercial success," the lawsuit reads.

For the 2017 "No One Ever Really Dies" album alone, Hugo is "owed at least $325,000-$575,000, with potential damages exceeding $750k-$1M," his lawsuit states.

The lawsuit also says that between 2019 and 2021, Hugo produced new music for The Neptunes and contributed to almost 50 studio sessions, but that Pharrell "denied [Hugo] his rightful publishing share and share of record royalties, and wrongfully took full credit for [Hugo's] contributions without proper attribution or compensation."

Musicians Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams and Shay Haley of N.E.R.D. arrive at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards at the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live on Sept. 12, 2010, in Los Angeles.

The claims point to Pharrell's "systemic denial of [Hugo's] contractual and ownership rights in the [N.E.R.D. Music] Company and in The Neptunes Entities," Hugo's lawsuit says. "As a result, [Hugo] has been unable to properly evaluate buyout proposals, calculate distributions owed to him and assess revenue generated by merchandise, trademarks and recordings related to their musical ventures."

He's seeking "a judicial declaration of his rights and [Pharrell's] obligations" under their operating agreements, "a full and transparent accounting of all revenues generated" by The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. and "the recovery of profits and distributions wrongfully withheld by" Pharrell and their companies.

This latest lawsuit is an escalation from Hugo's previous legal action against his childhood friend. In 2024, Hugo reportedly sued Pharrell, alleging he'd excluded Hugo while trying to file trademark applications for The Neptunes.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pharrell sued by Chad Hugo over The Neptunes, N.E.R.D. profits

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