Flo Rida Awarded $82.6 Million In Contract Dispute

Hip-hop artist Flo Rida was awarded $82.6 million on Wednesday after a South Florida jury found that the makers of Celsius energy drinks violated a contract with the rapper and singer and tried to hide money from him.

About Flo Rida

Flo Rida, whose real name is Tramar Dillard, and his production company, Strong Arm Productions, sued Boca Raton-based Celsius Holdings Inc. in Broward County court in May 2021, alleging that the company violated the conditions of an endorsement agreement.

“Basically, I helped start this company, and all we were looking for was some trustworthy people who acted like they were family,” Dillard told the Associated Press. “And then when it comes to today’s success, they just forgot about me.”

Celsius’ lawyers have argued in court and in previous lawsuits that the company achieved its greatest success after Flo Rida’s endorsement contract ended — and that other business decisions led to increased sales and share values. Celsius could still appeal the verdict, but it was not immediately clear if they would. Lawyers for the company did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment from the Associated Press.

According to The Civil Suit

According to the civil suit, Flo Rida was a brand ambassador for Celsius from 2014 to 2018. During that time, Dillard played a key role in launching a new era for the development, growth and expansion of the company’s brand, introducing Celsius to millions all around the world. , said the complaint. Dillard and his lawyers argued that the partnership paved the way for Celsius to grow its product portfolio, which includes the addition of a powder product and a new product line called Celsius Heat in conjunction with the Flo Rida partnership. Since then, the company has consistently sold and raised revenue for its powdered products.

Attorney John Uustal said Flo Rida wanted the 1% ownership he was promised and would still be willing to accept the shares in lieu of the jury’s monetary award.

“He (Dillard) loved the product and it’s been a very successful four-year relationship,” said Uustal. “There were some references. He was supposed to get stock when certain things happened. And a dispute arose over whether these benchmarks had been reached. So that’s what it was about.

Dillard said he continues to drink Celsius products and even owns some stock in the company. He said he would like to get out of the legal battle and work with the company again in the future.

“I still own the company,” Dillard said. “And when you’ve basically planted the seed of something that works, you can’t help but have unconditional love.”

This article is originally published on g7.news