This week, jurors rendered a decision in Flo Rida’s favor against the energy drink manufacturer Celsius, giving him a significant legal triumph that has made him extremely wealthy. The rapper, whose real name is Tramar Dillard, said that the business owed him money from a previous endorsement arrangement he had with them that had been extended two years earlier and had begun in 2014. He received a total of $82,640,450 in damages from the jury, according to Law & Crime.
“By way of background, Flo Rida maintained a successful endorsement partnership with Celsius which was highly effective in opening new doors for Celsius and its products,” the plaintiffs, including Flo Rida’s company Strong Arm productions, wrote in their original complaint.
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John Uustal, the lawyer for Flo Rida, claimed in closing arguments that his client desired the promised one percent ownership of the business rather than a precise monetary sum. The total amount sought in the original complaint, including interest and legal costs, was just $30,000. The rapper insisted that his partnership with Dillard improved the prospects of the struggling business.
“It’s about my passion,” he said of the case, speaking to the Law&Crime Network on Tuesday after jurors did not return a verdict. “It’s about my team. It’s about my dedication. It’s about something that I started years ago and just to see it come full fledged like this–I hate for it to be this way.”
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According to the publication, Celsius Holdings CEO John Fieldly testified on Friday that his team’s dedication and hard work, rather than a few seconds in a music video, were responsible for the company’s rise. However, on Wednesday, the jury came to the conclusion that Celsius had not only broken their agreements with the artist but also had falsely concealed hit from him. With the argument that the statute of limitations had passed, Celsius had first sought to have the initial case against them dismissed. In addition, they claimed that they had previously given Flo Rida “much more than what he is entitled to,” and they claimed that the rapper ought to have filed the complaint sooner. The energy drink manufacturer even followed up by filing a countersuit in which it demanded that money be given back to Celsius.
“The first agreement was executed in March of 2014, and Plaintiffs made no pursuit of the allegations herein until seven years later,” they said.
The legal team representing Celsius made an effort to draw attention to the fact that the contract officially expired in March 2016 by asserting that “it took almost five years” for Flo Rida to “take meaningful action” when he “should have.” They claimed that for more than five years, the plaintiffs had neglected to act materially when they ought to have. On Wednesday, the jury found that Celsius, the defense, had failed to establish that the plaintiffs, Flo Rida, had renounced their entitlement to further damages. – Steve Sijenyi
