Fugees’ Pras accuses Lauryn Hill of ‘mythical’ betrayal in money grab that derailed reunion tour: lawsuit

According to a damning new federal lawsuit, hip-hop diva Lauryn Hill defrauded her Fugees bandmates out of their fair share of the proceeds from a planned reunion tour that ultimately fizzled.

Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, a member of the Grammy-winning trio, claims in the lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan that Hill’s solo success “got to her head” and that she grew tired of taking control of the tour take over – a lion’s share of the expected profits – while the rest of the group remains in the dark.

“Treason is always scary, but the closer the traitor, the greater the evil,” says the introduction to the 28-page lawsuit. “Some say that God gives you friends to compensate your family.

“The Lord must have been absent the day he brought Lauryn Hill together with Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel,” the lawsuit says, “for the betrayal within the fake Fugees family has reached mythical proportions.”

“This is their story of suffering.”

Michel alleges Hill took advantage of the fact that he was facing mounting legal fees from an unrelated conspiracy case involving him in a $4.5 billion Malaysian fraud case.

“Hill’s ploy to pose as Michel’s supposed savior was actually a devious attempt to make millions of dollars through a Fugees tour,” the lawsuit says. “Hill knew she had Michel on the ropes and didn’t hesitate to pounce and take full advantage of his desperation.”

The lawsuit accuses Hill of fraud, breach of contract and other claims and seeks unspecified damages.

Hill responded to the allegations in an Instagram post after the lawsuit was filed, saying Pras’ “baseless lawsuit is full of false allegations and unwarranted attacks.”

She denied the allegations in the seven-point post, including that Michel received a $3 million advance for the planned tour – and was in breach of the agreement by failing to pay the money back after the tour was canceled .

“It is not my job to kick anyone, especially when they are down, which is why I have not responded,” Hill wrote. “It is absolutely disheartening to see Pras in this position that created my band and someone I considered a friend.”

Hailing from South Orange, New Jersey, Fugees became a hip-hop sensation in the 1990s with the 1996 hit “Ready or Not,” while Hill’s historic solo debut two years later, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” was became the first hip-hop album to win the Grammy for Album of the Year.

But the group soon stopped performing together, with a few exceptions, until rumors of a reunion surfaced in 2021 — when internal unrest in Fugees began to bubble to the top, the lawsuit says.

“For the proposed 2021 tour, Hill attempted to usurp control of the group, including exclusive control of the Fugees brand and all financial, creative and business aspects of the proposed Fugees tour,” it said.

However, the planned tour fell through when Michel refused to let Hill pay advances for shows.

Last year, the Fugees hit the road to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Miseducation – but were cut short when Hill said she was suffering from “severe vocal strain” and could no longer perform.

The trio was scheduled to tour again this year, but those shows were canceled last month – according to Michel, because he didn’t want to commit for financial reasons.

According to the lawsuit, his lawyers claimed that Hill’s contractual agreement for the 2023 tour gave her a 40% stake “from the start” before the remaining money was split between three parties.