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Pharrell Williams opened up about his relationship with former Neptunes partner Chad Hugo and stated the two aren’t speaking, presumably due to a legal dispute.
The rift between Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo has been noticeable, and the multifaceted producer has confirmed how deep it is. In a recent interview, Pharrell spoke at length about the new documentary on his life, Piece By Piece. He was asked about Hugo and the lawsuit that was filed against him by his former partner who claims that Pharrell is trying to monopolize The Neptunes, which the two performed under. “I always wish him the absolute best,” Pharrell replied. When asked if the two were on speaking terms, he answered: “No. But I love him, and I always wish him the absolute best, and I’m very grateful for our time together.”
The lawsuit by Hugo was filed in a federal court in April, alleging that Pharrell’s move to register a sole claim to The Neptunes name, which the filing states goes against the duo’s prior agreement that everything be equally divided. Williams made the filing through his PW IP Holdings LLC company in 2022. “Throughout their over thirty-year history, [Hugo] and Williams agreed to, and in fact, have divided all assets,” wrote Hugo’s attorney Kenneth D. Freundlich in the filing. “By ignoring and excluding [Hugo] from the any and all applications filed by applicant for the mark ‘The Neptunes,’ applicant has committed fraud in securing the trademarks and acted in bad faith.”
In response, an attorney for Pharrell claimed the “Happy” artist was “surprised” by the lawsuit, stating that “We have reached out on multiple occasions to share in the ownership and administration of the trademark and will continue to make that offer.”
The news comes as Piece By Piece recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Focus Features film, which is animated by LEGO figurines, features Jay-Z, Snoop, Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott, Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Timbaland, and Busta Rhymes lending their voices – as well as Hugo. “This is a next level of breaking so many norms and boundaries of what a typical narrative is. This one feels like it could be the most special thing we’ve ever done,” said Focus Features chair Peter Kujawski.
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