In his complaint filed in Manhattan’s southern district, Michel says Hill mismanaged the band’s finances and tried to “usurp control” of its business and trademark.

Among his allegations is that Hill shut down a US$5 million offer for the 1990s New Jersey trio, which also includes Wyclef Jean, to play at this year’s Coachella festival.

He also bemoaned Hill’s “chronic tardiness” to performances, and said she cancelled the second half of their 2023 reunion tour as she “financially penalised and defrauded” Michel.

“Ms. Hill exploited Mr. Michel’s vulnerable legal situation, manipulating him into an unfair agreement for The Fugees’ 2023 reunion tour,” according to his lawyer.

Michel in 2023 was found guilty of helping funnel money connected to a billion-dollar scam in Malaysia into US politics.

His suit seeks unspecified damages.

Hill lambasted the suit as “baseless” and “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,” she said in a statement provided to AFP.

The lawsuit offers a portrait of intense infighting among members of The Fugees, a group beloved for their reggae-inflected hip hop, with hits including ‘Killing Me Softly’ and ‘Fu-Gee-La’.

This fall Hill will begin touring in Europe as part of ‘Ms. Lauryn Hill & the Fugees’. Michel’s lawyer said he will not be participating in the shows.