Lauryn Hill is finally addressing accusations from her Fugees bandmate Pras Michel, who’s suing her for fraud and other claims related to their canceled 2023 tour.
In an official statement, Lauryn called his lawsuit “baseless” and full of “false claims.”
Lauryn explained she’s stayed quiet, understanding Pras has been dealing with legal battles that may have affected his judgment.
But now she’s clearing the air: “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.”
She then laid out the facts:
Fact #1: Pras was advanced payment for the tour and failed to repay loans Lauryn gave him out of goodwill. The 2023 tour was always meant to celebrate The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’s 25th anniversary, with or without the Fugees.
Fact #2: The Fugees were included in the tour because Pras needed money for his legal defense.
Fact #3: Pras received a $3 million advance for the tour to pay his legal fees. Lauryn and Wyclef deferred their advances to help him out, and Lauryn covered most of the tour expenses herself. Pras hasn’t repaid the money and is in breach of their agreement.
Fact #4: Lauryn handled most of the tour’s production, and Pras just had to perform.
Fact #5: Pras thanked Lauryn for “saving his life” during the last tour, and she’s got receipts.
Fact #6: Lauryn didn’t want to respond earlier out of respect for their friendship, but Pras’ lawsuit pushed her to speak up.
Fact #7: Lauryn made it clear she had nothing to do with Pras’ legal troubles and isn’t responsible for the decisions that led him there, even though she tried to help him.
Pras is suing Lauryn for fraud, breach of contract, and more, but her response shows there’s a lot more to the story than he’s claiming.
