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Last year, Lauryn Hill announced an arena tour where she’d celebrate the 25th anniversary of her only solo album The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill and share headlining duties with the reunited Fugees, her old group. A few days before the tour was set to begin, it was canceled, and Hill put out a statement blaming low ticket sales on “some media outlet’s penchant for sensationalism and clickbait headlines.” It was the second time a Fugees reunion tour had been canceled. Fellow Fugee Pras Michél, angry about the cancelation, dropped the Lauryn Hill diss track “Bar Mitzfa,” and now he’s also suing Hill for fraud and breach of contract, among other offenses.
Variety reports that Pras Michél has filed a federal lawsuit against Lauryn Hill today in the Southern District of New York. The suit claims that Hill mismanaged and badly promoted the tour while also siphoning money from guarantees. It alludes to Hill’s “narcissistic tendencies” and says that Pras was left in debt because the tour’s budget “was so bloated with unnecessary and, most likely fictitious, expenses, that it seemed designed to lose money.”
The lawsuit claims that Hill turned down a $5 million offer to perform at Coachella:
The reason was that her ego was bruised since the group No Doubt would be receiving top billing over The Fugees the night of their show… Hill never told Pras about the offer or that she had was rejected it. Pras only learned about it when it was too late, after Hill, in an astonishing display of hubris, asked Pras if he would agree to perform a few Fugees songs for free as the opening act for her son, “YG” Marley, who was slated to perform at the same Coachella festival.
Pras claims that Lauryn Hill proposed the Fugees reunion because her own solo tour had been a financial failure and because Pras himself needed money for mounting legal fees. (Pras was found guilty in a political money laundering conspiracy case last year, and he’s seeking a retrial, claiming that his previous lawyer used an experimental AI program to write a terrible closing statement. His co-defendant, the financier Jho Low, is currently on the run, believed to be living in China.) Pras claims that Hill “tarnished the Fugees brand” by notoriously showing up late to perform at her own shows. You can read the full Variety report here.
UPDATE: Lauryn Hill has issued a statement in response to the lawsuit. Here it is, in full:
Some clarity and facts need to be presented. 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.
Fact #1: This baseless lawsuit by Pras is full of false claims and unwarranted attacks. 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.
Fact #2: 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.
Fact #3: 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.
Fact #4: Because my tour, band, production, and set up were already happening, the Fugees set utilized this same production. I absorbed most of the expenses myself, produced the show, put together the entire set (with Wyclef’s participation for the Fugees and Wyclef’s set). Pras basically just had to show up and perform.
Fact #5: As of the last tour Pras thanked me for “saving his life.” (I have the receipts.)
Fact #6: I am not in the business of kicking anyone, especially when they’re down, which is why I haven’t responded to date. It is absolutely disheartening to see Pras in this position, my bandmate and someone I considered a friend but this leads us to Fact #7, which probably should have been Fact #1…
Fact #7: I was not in Pras’ life when he decided to make the unfortunate decision that lead to his current legal troubles. 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.