Pharrell Williams recently spoke out about his current relationship with his The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. bandmate Chad Hugo. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pharrell was asked about the lawsuit that Chad Hugo has filed regarding The Neptunes trademark.
Quick to wish him well, Pharrell simply answered, “I always wish him the absolute best,” but when he was asked if they are currently on speaking terms, he admitted, “No.” Pharrell was always adamant on sharing that there is no hard feelings, “But I love him, and I always wish him the absolute best, and I’m very grateful for our time together.” Earlier this year, Hugo’s legal team filed a lawsuit against Pharrell for allegedly attempting to monopolize the naming rights to The Neptunes. Hugo claims that this violates their agreement to split it equally when Pharrell attempted to register trademarks under their production name. Pharrell had reportedly tried to file three separate trademark applications for The Neptunes under his own PW IP Holdings LLC that saw one for streaming music, music videos and live performances. When Hugo filed the legal action, those close to Pharrell claimed that he was “surprised” with the suit.
While they’re no longer on speaking terms, Pharrell has also confirmed that Hugo’s voice in his upcoming LEGO biopic titled Piece By Piece is voiced by Chad Hugo himself. The film recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. It remains to be seen how this case will unfold in court.
