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

Hip-hop diva Lauryn Hill cheated her Fugees bandmates out of their fair share of the proceeds from a planned reunion tour that ultimately fizzled, according to a scathing new federal lawsuit.

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

“Betrayals are always sinister, but the closer the betrayer the greater the evil,” the introduction to the 28-page complaint reads. “Some say that God gives you friends to make up for your family.

“The Lord must have been off the day he paired Lauryn Hill with Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel,” the suit said, “because the betrayal among the forged Fugees family has risen to Mythic proportions.

“This is their tale of woe.”

Michel claims that Hill took advantage of the fact that he was facing mounting legal bills from an unrelated conspiracy case in which he was implicated in a $4.5 billion Malaysia fraud case.

“Hill’s ploy to appear to be Michel’s supposed savior was actually a devious attempt to make a big score for herself by generating millions of dollars from a Fugees tour,” the lawsuit said. “Hill knew she had Michel on the ropes and did not 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 suit was filed, saying the “baseless lawsuit by Pras is full of false claims and unwarranted attacks.”

She refuted the claims in the seven-point post, including that Michel was given a $3 million advance for the planned tour — and is in breach of the deal for not repaying the money after the tour was canceled.

“I am not in the business of kicking anyone, especially when they’re down, which is why I haven’t responded to date,” Hill wrote. “It is absolutely disheartening to see Pras in this position, my band mate and someone I considered a friend.”

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

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

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

However, the planned tour fizzled when Michel balked at having Hill get the paid the advances for shows.

Last year, Fugees hit the road to celebrate the 25th anniversary of “Miseducation” — but was cut short when Hill said she suffered from “serious vocal strain” and could not continue performing.

This year, the trio was due to hit the road again, but those shows were canceled last month — according to Michel because he wouldn’t sign on given the financial arrangements.

According to the lawsuit, his lawyers claimed that Hill’s contractual arrangement for the 2023 tour gave her a 40% share “off the top,” before the three-way split of the remaining money.