Pharrell Says He's Not on Speaking Terms With Chad Hugo: 'I Always Wish Him the Absolute Best'
Chad Hugo filed a lawsuit against Pharrell earlier this year over the name rights to The Neptunes.
Pharrell Williams has revealed that he's not on speaking terms with his The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. bandmate Chad Hugo, who filed a lawsuit against his collaborator over the name rights for The Neptunes earlier this year.
In an extensive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pharrell was asked about the lawsuit and what his relationship with Chad is like right now. "I always wish him the absolute best," he replied, while also confirming that Chad voices himself in his upcoming biographical movie Piece by Piece, which is animated in the style of Lego.
Asked if they were on speaking terms, he replied, "No." However, he indicated that there are no hard feelings between them. "But I love him, and I always wish him the absolute best, and I'm very grateful for our time together," he added.
Earlier this year, Chad Hugo's legal team filed a lawsuit against Pharrell for allegedly attempting to "fraudulently" claim sole ownership over the name rights for The Neptunes, the name of their producing and songwriting duo they formed in 1992. Pharrell was accused of attempting to register trademarks for The Neptunes, violating an agreement they had to split ownership and royalties equally.
A representative for Pharrell said he was "surprised" by the lawsuit.
"We have reached out on multiple occasions to share in the ownership and administration of the trademark and will continue to make that offer," said his representative. "The goal here was to make sure a third party doesn’t get a hold of the trademark and to guarantee Chad and Pharrell share in ownership and administration."
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Shortly after news of the lawsuit broke, Pusha T, who is a key collaborator in the Neptunes' discography, accused Chad's legal team of attempting "to drain Chad's pocket."