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

"I always wish him the absolute best," the "Happy" singer said of his childhood friend

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

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter ahead of his new LEGO-animated documentary Piece by Piece, Williams, 51, admitted that a trademark opposition filed in March at a federal tribunal by Hugo, 50, put a strain on their decades-long friendship.

“I always wish him the absolute best,” the “Frontin’” artist said when asked by the outlet how he and Hugo were doing at the moment.

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The two collaborators met in seventh grade before going on to form The Neptunes, where together, they produced many hits including Snoop Dogg's “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” Gwen Stefani's “Hollaback Girl," Nelly's “Hot in Herre" and Justin 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.

Related: Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams Involved in Legal Dispute over Neptunes Name

“Throughout their over 30 year history, [Hugo] and Williams agreed to, and in fact, have divided all assets,” Hugo’s attorney Kenneth D. Freundlich wrote 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.”

When asked by the outlet if the former collaborators are currently on speaking terms, Williams said they were not.

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

Despite their legal differences, Williams told THR that Hugo does appear in Piece by Piece where he voices his own character. 

The Morgan Neville-directed documentary tells the life story of the singer and producer through LEGO pieces. Stefani, 54, Kendrick Lamar and JAY-Z also 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.

Piece by Piece was recently shown at the Toronto International Film Festival, where a usually private Williams admitted he was “on the fence” about having his wife Helen Lasichanh and their family in the movie.

"I turned everything over to [Neville], so I followed his direction," he said at the PEOPLE /Entertainment Weekly suite 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."

Piece by Piece is in theaters Oct. 11.

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