Pras Michel has dropped his lawsuit against his Fugees group-mate Lauryn Hill, where he accused her of “misrepresent[ing] critical financial information” as part of a “veiled and devious attempt to make a big score for herself.”
In a March 11 filing in the United States District Court Southern District of New York, obtained by Rolling Stone, it states, “The…action [is] dismissed without prejudice, with each party to bear his, her or its own expenses, costs, and attorney’s fees.”
Lawyers for both Michel and Hill did not immediately return Rolling Stone‘s requests for comment.
It’s unclear why exactly Michel took this step a year-and-a-half after initiating the legal action, but it’s likely related to the fact that he’s about to start a 14-year prison sentence. That legal matter began with a 2019 indictment accusing Michel of making illegal contributions to Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. Two years later, charges were added that included bank fraud, concealment of material facts, witness tampering, violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China.
“What benefit would I get trying to break laws?” Michel told Rolling Stone in 2023. “It’s not worth it to me. I’m like a pariah now. I’ve got friends who won’t talk to me because they think there’s a satellite in orbit listening to them.”
In the middle of his legal battle, Michel agreed to take part in a 2023 Fugees reunion tour with Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean tied to the 25th anniversary of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. But ticket sales were soft in many markets, several shows started very late, others were canceled outright, and Hill was dealing with significant vocal issues at the time.
“Ms. Hill’s chronic tardiness was a hallmark of the tour, with shows routinely starting two or more hours late. Hill canceled the second half of the tour and, at the same time, financially penalized and defrauded Mr. Michel,” Michél’s attorney Robert Meloni, of Meloni & McCaffrey, said in a statement to Rolling Stone shortly after the suit was filed. “We assert that Ms. Hill misrepresented critical financial information and concealed her intent to take an excessive 60 percent share of the tour’s proceeds, leaving Mr. Michel with only 20 percent instead of the group’s customary one-third split.”
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In the filing over the reunion tour, Michel also accused Hill of nixing a $5 million payday from Coachella because the festival was going to bill them underneath No Doubt, and dooming the tour from the start by announcing it at the last minute. “Because of the gross mismanagement by Hill and [her company], who had taken far too long to close the deal with Live Nation, the 2024 U.S. tour tickets sales were dismal,” reads the lawsuit. “There was little or no marketing for the tour, and not enough time between the announcement and the first concert date to do sufficient advance sales to justify the tour.”
Hill released a rare public statement in response to the suit. “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,” she said. “I was not in Pras’ life when he decided to make the unfortunate decision that led 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.”
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Hill hasn’t played with Michel since the final U.S. leg of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 25th Anniversary Tour in November 2023. But she has maintained a professional relationship with Wyclef Jean. They performed together at the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert in February 2025, and again at the Grammy’s last month as part of an all-star tribute to Roberta Flack.
Michel — who is appealing his conviction and resulting 14-year prison sentence in his money laundering, illegal lobbying, and witness tampering case — is due to report to prison on March 30.
