Lauryn Hill has responded to being sued by her Fugees co-founder Pras Michél for fraud and breach of contract over their failed 2023 world tour and canceled 2024 tour, calling the lawsuit “baseless”.
Hill, 49, was scheduled to hit the road with the Fugees in November 2023 for the second half of their world tour before it was abruptly canceled by Hill due to “serious vocal strain.”
They were due to perform a string of US dates this year before those were quietly axed as well.
In a complaint filed on Tuesday (October 1) in the Southern District of New York by her Fugees bandmate Michél – and seen by Variety – he claimed the 2023 tour was supposed to be “a huge commercial success, since most of shows for the entire arena size tour were sold out in advance.”
However, Michél said he walked away empty-handed due to Hill’s “narcissistic tendencies,” “arrogance” and alleged mismanagement of the tour’s marketing and budget, which he claimed was “so bloated with unnecessary and, most likely fictitious, expenses, that it seemed designed to lose money.”
He also alleged the 2023 tour was a “veiled and devious attempt” for Hill “to make a big score for herself.”
The suit further claims that “Hill’s arrogance was again demonstrated when she unilaterally rejected a $5m offer [to play Coachella].”
In a statement to The Independent, Hill disputed many of these claims.
“This baseless lawsuit by Pras is full of false claims and unwarranted attacks,” said Hill.
“It notably omits that he was advanced overpayment for the last tour and has failed to repay substantial loans extended by myself as an act of goodwill.
“Last year’s tour was put together to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. It was being planned whether the Fugees were involved or not.
“The tour was expanded to incorporate the Fugees because I found out that Pras was in trouble and would need money to aid his legal defense.”
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Hill continued: “Pras was given a $3M advance for the tour, which he said he required to pay his legal fees. Wyclef and Myself deferred our full advances to make sure he had what he needed and was able to go.
“I covered most of the tour expenses, as the majority of the tour advance had gone to Pras. An agreement was put in place to secure the repayment of the money he was advanced. Pras has not paid back the money he was advanced, and is currently in breach of this agreement.”
Hill also claimed that Pras had previously thanked her for “saving his life.”
The Fugees were formed in New Jersey in 1990 by Hill, Michél and Wyclef Jean.
In 2023, Michél was found guilty of funneling money from the now-fugitive Malaysian financer Low Taek Jho through straw donors to Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.
He later pushed for a new trial, claiming that his lawyer’s use of AI had tanked his case.