Flo Rida was one of our favorite rappers in the 2010s as he became the go-to guy for club classics. One can instantly think of songs like ‘Low’ and ‘Right Round’ when his name is mentioned. While the rapper never ran out of money, he had been caught up in a legal war. Flo Rida and his company Strong Arm Productions sued Celsius Holdings Inc. in May 2021. The basis of his allegations were that the company was in straight violation of an endorsement deal from the mid-2010s. That is when the 43-year-old rapper was at his all-time high. Now, a Broward County jury has awarded him $82.6 million.
The blockbuster artist was a brand ambassador of the brand from 2014 to 2018 as per the publication records. The civil complaint mentions that his involvement introduced the company to a wider audience. Flo Rida tells the press, “Basically, I helped birth this company, and all we was looking for was some trustworthy people who acted as if they were family. And then when it comes down to the success of today, they just forgot about me.” The company, on the flip side, has stated otherwise.
Flo Rida wins more than $80 MILLION in lawsuit
The rapper continues, “This was a long journey, but we prevailed.From the start, I only wanted what I worked for-nothing more, nothing less. I was instrumental in the Celsius that you know and love today.” But the company’s lawyers are prepared to appeal the verdict on several grounds. They have also claimed that the company reached its undeterred success after the endorsement deal ended. Moreover, they claim that the increase in sales and stock value were a result of other dealings, totally eliminating Flo Rida’s involvement.
A spokesperson for Celsius says, “Celsius is disappointed with the result and disagrees with the jury’s verdict, we intend to appeal based on several grounds. This decision doesn’t take away from all Celsius has accomplished over the last several years and we look forward to achieving continued success and delivering quality products to our customers.” The rapper alleges that he was promised stock in the company as per the contract. A promise that was allegedly never followed through. Now, $27 million out of the damages awarded to Flo Rida represents 250,000 shares in Celsius.
Flo Rida was looking for 1% in the company
Flo Rida’s attorney John Uustal explains that Flo Rida, real name Tramar Lacel Dillard, was looking for the 1% ownership he was promised. Further claims were that he was a driving force in expanding the company’s portfolio. Uustal says, “He loved the product, and it’s been a very successful four-year relationship. There were some benchmarks. He was supposed to get stock when certain things happened. And there became a dispute about whether those benchmarks had been reached. So that’s what this was about.”
Flo Rida further says. “I’m still an owner in the company. And when you basically planted the seed for something that is successful, you can’t help but have unconditional love.” The rapper even took to his Instagram to share a celebratory post in which he can be seen holding Celsius cans. He used his track called ‘What A Night’ to announce his win. The reel also featured various photos of him in court.
