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Fugees' Pras Michel Sues Lauryn Hill for Fraud, Alleging Trademark Takeover; Hill Denies Claims

Oct 1, 2024, 06:43 PM

Pras Michel, a founding member of the Grammy-winning hip-hop group The Fugees, has filed a lawsuit against his bandmate Lauryn Hill, accusing her of fraud, breach of contract, and attempting to take over the group's trademark over their canceled 2023 reunion tour. In the lawsuit filed on Tuesday in federal court, Michel alleges that Hill grossly mismanaged the tour's setup, marketing, and budgeting, and that she attempted to profit personally by secretly diverting funds. According to the complaint, Hill rejected a $5 million offer to play Coachella because she was upset that the group No Doubt would receive top billing. Michel claims that Hill's "arrogance" and "narcissistic tendencies" led to the tour's collapse and describes the tour as "a scheme of fraud." Hill has responded to the lawsuit, calling it "baseless" and "full of false claims and unwarranted attacks." She stated that she had been "silent and pushing through" because she understood that Michel was "under duress" due to his legal battles and that she included The Fugees in the tour to aid him with his legal fees.