Pharrell Williams Says He and Neptunes Collaborator Chad Hugo Are Not on Speaking Terms After Lawsuit

Mar. 15, 2025

Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams in Miami in August 2005.Photo:Billy Farrell/Patrick McMullan/Getty

Billy Farrell/Patrick McMullan/Getty

Pharrell Williamsand his friend and business partner Chad Hugo are no longer close following a lawsuit surrounding the musical duo’s name, The Neptunes.

Neptunes' Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams in New York City in August 2003.Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Johnny Nunez/WireImage

The two collaborators met in seventh grade before going on to form The Neptunes, where together, they produced many hits includingSnoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot,”Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,“Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” andJustin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body” in the 2000s.

In 2022, they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

However, earlier this year, Hugo’s attorneys claimed that the “Happy” artist “knowingly and intentionally” filed trademark applications for his band N.E.R.D., his Miami hotel Goodtime Hotel, and more without consulting Hugo, despite being “fully aware” that his partner should have been listed as a co-owner.

“No. But I love him, and I always wish him the absolute best, and I’m very grateful for our time together,” he said.

Pharrell Williams at TIFF in Toronto on Sept. 7, 2024.Robin Marchant/Getty

Robin Marchant/Getty

The Morgan Neville-directed documentary tells the life story of the singer and producer through LEGO pieces. Stefani, 54,Kendrick LamarandJAY-Zalso voice their own characters.

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“I let Morgan deejay. I let him figure out what parts of the story he wanted to tell. He really shaped the direction of the storytelling,” Williams said, referring to how artists were selected to appear in the film after working with so many throughout his career.

“I turned everything over to [Neville], so I followed his direction,” he said at the PEOPLE /Entertainment Weeklysuite at the festival. “He’s the director, right? So we followed his direction. It was cool. I’d like to keep my private life just private, but this was a moment where it was just like, ‘Nope, let me let Morgan drive. He sees something that I don’t see. Let him go.’ And he did.”

source: people.com