The Flo Rida Celsius lawsuit ended in a January 2023 jury verdict of $82.6 million for the rapper after Broward County jurors found Celsius Holdings breached a 2014 endorsement contract by failing to hand over promised stock. A Florida appeals court later upheld the finding that Celsius breached the deal but reversed the damages figure, sending the case back for a new jury to recalculate what the company owes. As of late 2025, liability is settled. Only the dollar amount is still in play.
What the Endorsement Deal Promised
In March 2014, Flo Rida (legal name Tramar Dillard) and his companies Strong Arm Productions USA and D3M Licensing Group signed on to “globally market and promote all aspects of the Celsius brand.”1NBC Miami. Rapper, South Florida Native Flo Rida Suing Energy Drink Celsius Over Endorsement Deal The partnership produced a co-branded pre-workout powder called Flo Fusion and closely tied the rapper to the company’s sparkling orange flavor.2BevNet. Celsius Renews Partnership With Flo Rida
His pay came in stock, not cash. The 2014 contract called for 250,000 shares on signing, another 250,000 if co-branded sales hit $1 million in any twelve-month period, and 500,000 more if Celsius sold 690,000 units of co-branded product. The parties renewed in 2016, and that agreement added 250,000 restricted shares for D3M and Dillard.3FindLaw. Celsius Holdings, Inc. v. Strong Arm Productions, USA, Inc.
What Celsius Did and Didn’t Do
The endorsement ran through 2018. Celsius never issued the bonus shares. Company representatives told Flo Rida’s team the co-branded products were “failing miserably” and that sales fell short of the benchmarks. Court filings later showed the company generated no reports verifying whether targets were met and kept its sales figures from the artist’s representatives.4Gupta Wessler. Flo Rida Answer Brief
On April 30, 2021, Flo Rida’s team formally demanded an accounting and delivery of the owed stock along with unpaid royalties. Celsius refused. The rapper sued in Broward County Circuit Court in May 2021.5Courtroom View Network. $82.6M Verdict in Rapper Flo Rida’s Breach of Contract Trial Against Energy Drink Maker
The 2023 Trial and the $82.6 Million Verdict
The five-day trial before Judge David Haimes came down to two contract-reading questions. Did the 2016 renewal keep the 2014 stock bonuses alive? And when the contract talked about a “unit,” did it mean one powdered stick or one retail box of fourteen sticks?5Courtroom View Network. $82.6M Verdict in Rapper Flo Rida’s Breach of Contract Trial Against Energy Drink Maker
Flo Rida’s side put on evidence that Celsius tracked sales by individual stick, assigned per-stick UPC codes, and ran single-use promotions. On that reading, Celsius had sold 738,773 sticks by February 2015, over the 690,000 threshold.4Gupta Wessler. Flo Rida Answer Brief Celsius countered that a unit meant a full retail box and that the 2016 agreement’s merger clause barred outside evidence about what the parties had intended.5Courtroom View Network. $82.6M Verdict in Rapper Flo Rida’s Breach of Contract Trial Against Energy Drink Maker Defense counsel called the lawsuit “based on greed.”6Miami New Times. Flo Rida Testifies in High-Stakes Trial Over Celsius Endorsement Deal
On January 18, 2023, after roughly six hours of deliberation across two days, the jury sided with Flo Rida on all three breach claims: the 250,000 shares from the 2014 contract, the 500,000 shares tied to the unit benchmark, and unpaid royalties on sparkling orange drinks going back to 2018. The jury also found that Celsius had fraudulently hidden information from the rapper.7NBC Miami. Appeals Court Upholds Flo Rida’s Legal Win Against Celsius, Challenges His Award8Today. Flo Rida Wins $82 Million Lawsuit Against Energy Drink Company Celsius
The $82.6 million figure came from valuing the owed shares at roughly $110 each, the stock’s trading price on the last day of trial.5Courtroom View Network. $82.6M Verdict in Rapper Flo Rida’s Breach of Contract Trial Against Energy Drink Maker
The Appeal That Kept the Win but Erased the Number
Celsius appealed. On December 11, 2024, Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal split the decision. It affirmed the jury’s finding that Celsius breached the contract. It reversed the damages award.3FindLaw. Celsius Holdings, Inc. v. Strong Arm Productions, USA, Inc.
The problem was the valuation date. Under Florida’s date-of-breach rule, contract damages are measured as of when the breach happened, not when the trial ends. The jury had used the trial-date price of about $110 per share. That inflated the award because Celsius stock had climbed sharply in the years between the breach and the verdict. The appeals court found Flo Rida’s team had not shown the kind of valuation difficulty, or communicated intent to hold the stock, that Florida law recognizes as an exception to the rule.3FindLaw. Celsius Holdings, Inc. v. Strong Arm Productions, USA, Inc.
Rather than fix a new number, the panel sent the case back to Judge Haimes. A new jury will pick between two possible valuation dates: April 30, 2021, when Celsius refused the demand for shares, or November 1, 2021, when Flo Rida’s team argues he could have first sold the restricted stock.3FindLaw. Celsius Holdings, Inc. v. Strong Arm Productions, USA, Inc. Bloomberg Law estimated the recalculation could cut the award by up to 50 percent.9Bloomberg Law. Celsius Bests Flo Rida in Ruling Reducing $82.6 Million Verdict
Where the Case Stands Now
Celsius asked the Florida Supreme Court to take the case. On November 12, 2025, the court declined jurisdiction, ending Celsius’s path to overturn the breach finding.10The Florida Bar. Daily News Summary The liability question is closed. Celsius breached its contract with Flo Rida.
The case has returned to Broward County for a limited retrial on damages. Depending on which valuation date the new jury picks, the final judgment including interest is expected to land at roughly $55 million or close to $100 million.10The Florida Bar. Daily News Summary
What the Fight Has Cost Celsius So Far
Celsius has flagged the exposure in its own filings. In its Form 10-Q for the first quarter of 2026, the company reported $88.2 million in total accrued legal expenses, with about $85 million tied to the Strong Arm Productions litigation.11Stock Titan. Celsius Holdings Inc Quarterly Earnings Report The company’s 2024 annual report did not name the Flo Rida case, but it referenced general litigation risks tied to the use of influencers and celebrities in marketing.12Celsius Holdings. Celsius Holdings Inc. Annual Report (Form 10-K)