Pras files lawsuit against Lauryn Hill for fraud, breach of contract

Pras Michél, a co-founding member of The Fugees, is suing his ex-bandmate Lauryn Hill in federal court for fraud and breach of contract over the short-lived and ultimately canceled Fugees reunion tour, Variety reports. The filing is nasty and personal, citing Hill's "arrogance" and "narcissistic tendencies" as reasons for the failure of the tour and the loss of other lucrative opportunities for the group. The full list of claims in the suit include fraud in the inducement, breach of fiduciary duty, accounting, and refusal to permit an audit of the Fugees’ tour.

The Fugees have performed together sporadically since they disbanded in 1997, but a long-gestating reunion tour scheduled to begin in August 2024 was abruptly canceled shortly before kicking off. Michél blames Hill for that and for blocking other potential lucrative opportunities, like a floated performance at this year's Coachella that Michél claims Hill turned down because she didn't like that No Doubt was given the headlining spot. Among his many complaints, he asserts that Hill "tarnished the Fugees brand" due to "her habit of showing up late for shows, sometimes by as many as two to three hours."

The issue at the heart of this suit is that Michél has been tied up in legal battles for years, having been accused of various criminal conspiracies and was ultimately found guilty in federal court for his role in a scheme to help Malaysian businessman Jho Low and the Chinese government gain access to US officials, per CNN. Some reports previously suggested that the Fugees tour was originally canceled in 2021 because Miché legally wasn't allowed to leave the country. Regardless, he needed the money to recoup his legal fees, which was impossible because he claims "Hill was taking 40% of the tour guarantees and tour net profits 'off the top' for herself, leaving the remaining 60% to be split equally between Hill, Pras and Wyclef [Jean]."

"I’ve been silent and pushing through because I understood that Pras was under duress because of his legal battles and that this was perhaps affecting his judgment, state of mind and character," Hill said in a statement shared with The A.V Club in response to Michél's suit. She went on to call his suit "baseless," saying that she extended an invitation to the Fugees to join her Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill anniversary tour as an act of goodwill "because I found out that Pras was in trouble and would need money to aid his legal defense." She claims that Michél "was advanced overpayment for the tour," and that "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 says she took care of most of the production planning and expenses, while "Pras basically just had to show up and perform." 

"I was not in Pras’ life when he decided to make the unfortunate decision that lead to his current legal troubles," the singer concludes her statement. "I did not advise that he make that decision and therefore am in no way responsible for his decision and its consequences though I have taken it upon myself to help. Despite his attacks, I am still compassionate and hope things work out for him."