That sound you just heard was millions of millennials crying out in anguish as yet another part of their childhoods died today. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pharrell Williams confirmed that he and his former production partner Chad Hugo, with whom he’d collaborated as The Neptunes throughout the late ’90s and 2000s, are no longer on speaking terms after Hugo filed a lawsuit against him over the use of their group name.
When asked about the status of their relationship, Pharrell replied only, “I always wish him the absolute best.” Pressed about whether the two are on speaking terms, he admitted, “No. But I love him, and I always wish him the absolute best, and I’m very grateful for our time together.”
The Neptunes collectively produced dozens of hits throughout their tenure as a hotly demanded duo, working with Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Ludacris, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, and more. The duo also formed two-thirds of the experimental rock trio N.E.R.D. with Shay Haley, producing five albums from 2001 to 2017.
Hugo sued Williams in April after Pharrell allegedly filed for trademarks for the Neptunes’ name without including his former partner. Chad’s attorneys said this violated their standing agreement to split the group’s profits 50/50, while Pharrell’s reps argued that they had attempted to contact Hugo several times with no success.
Despite not speaking to Pharrell, Chad’s voice will be heard in Pharrell’s animated biopic, Piece By Piece, which uses documentary interviews with collaborators like Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar, who weren’t informed of its animated nature.
