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Celsius has faced several legal disputes, but they do not all involve the same claim. One well-known consumer case challenged the company’s past use of the phrase no preservatives on Celsius products that contained citric acid. That dispute ended in a $7.8 million class action settlement. A federal judge gave final approval on April 5, 2023, and the case was dismissed under the settlement terms.

Legal issues tied to the brand did not end with that settlement. A separate consumer class action filed in 2025 focuses on alleged undisclosed relationships between Celsius and social media influencers. Celsius also remains involved in a major contract dispute with rapper Flo Rida, and its Alani Nu business became connected to a 2026 wrongful-death case and a Texas state investigation. These matters involve different products, parties, laws, and evidence, so it is important not to treat every “Celsius drink lawsuit” headline as one case.

Latest Celsius Lawsuit Status at a Glance

Several disputes make up the present legal picture. One has already settled. Others remained active or subject to further court action in the latest public records reviewed for this article.

The status of each matter can change through later orders, appeals, settlements, or amended complaints. A lawsuit allegation also does not establish liability unless the court reaches that result or the parties resolve the dispute through a settlement. A similar distinction between filed claims and proven liability also matters in the Blingle lawsuit, where court records help separate verified facts from broader allegations.

How the Celsius Preservative Class Action Started

Celsius faced a consumer dispute over claims that its drinks were marketed as containing “no preservatives” even though they included citric acid. Daniel Prescod filed a case in California in March 2019, and Amit Hezi and Joseph Nina later filed a federal case in New York in November 2021. Plaintiffs argued that the label could mislead consumers because citric acid can serve as a preservative. Celsius rejected that claim and said it used citric acid as a flavor ingredient, not as a preservative.

Both cases later became part of a nationwide settlement process. Celsius and the plaintiffs reached an agreement in principle in October 2022, with a proposed settlement of $7.8 million. That agreement resolved the consumer claims without a trial on whether Celsius had intentionally used citric acid as a preservative. It also did not count as an admission that the company had violated the law.

Who Was Covered by the $7.8 Million Settlement

The settlement covered eligible people in the United States who bought qualifying Celsius products for personal or household use rather than resale.

• Purchase period: January 1, 2015 to November 23, 2022
• Claim deadline: February 13, 2023
• Final approval: April 5, 2023
• Settlement fund: $7.8 million
• Approved claims: 906,539
• Claims with valid documentation: 245,828

Court records show that the settlement attracted a large number of claims, so individual payments could differ based on the settlement terms and supporting purchase records. Celsius also agreed to change the challenged product labels, remove the “no preservatives” representation, and use a Nutrition Facts panel on the covered products instead of the previous dietary supplement-style label.

Settlement Did Not Prove Celsius Broke the Law

A class action settlement can end a dispute without a court deciding every factual issue. That happened in the Celsius case. The final order stated that the agreement was not an admission of liability, negligence, culpability, or wrongdoing. Celsius agreed to a $7.8 million settlement over claims tied to its “no preservatives” labeling, but the court did not rule that the company illegally used preservatives.

Claims about product safety also need to stay separate from this settlement. The case focused on labeling and consumer representations, not personal injury, caffeine-related harm, heart damage, or the overall safety of Celsius energy drinks. Those issues depend on different evidence, medical facts, and legal claims. Similar consumer disputes can involve very different claims and outcomes, as seen in the Venmo class action, so each case needs to be read on its own facts.

New Influencer Class Action Against Celsius

A newer consumer case appeared in January 2025. A plaintiff filed a proposed class action in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Celsius Holdings and several individual defendants. The complaint alleges that consumers were not properly told about financial relationships between Celsius and people who promoted its products on social media.

The lawsuit relies on consumer-protection theories that include California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act and Unfair Competition Law, along with unjust enrichment and negligent misrepresentation claims. Celsius denies the allegations and has said that it believes the claims lack merit. A judge dismissed the original complaint with permission to amend it in August 2025. The plaintiff filed an amended complaint the next month.

Celsius and the other defendants then sought dismissal or transfer of the amended case. Briefing ended in November 2025, and the court heard oral argument on February 3, 2026. Celsius reported in its May 7, 2026 Form 10-Q that the motion remained pending after that hearing. That means this case should not be described as a proven fraud case or completed class action settlement.

The legal theory also fits a wider debate over influencer advertising. FTC guidance says a material relationship that may affect how consumers view an endorsement should receive a clear disclosure. A material connection can include payment, employment, free products, discounts, or another valuable relationship with a brand.

Flo Rida Contract Case and the $101.1 Million Judgment

Another major Celsius lawsuit involved rapper Flo Rida, whose legal name is Tramar Dillard, along with Strong Arm Productions and D3M Licensing Group. They sued Celsius in Florida in May 2021 over endorsement and licensing agreements signed in 2014 and 2016. Plaintiffs argued that Celsius met sales and revenue targets that entitled them to additional company shares. A Florida jury awarded $82.6 million in compensatory damages in January 2023, but Celsius challenged both the legal basis and the amount.

Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal kept the liability finding in place in December 2024 but reversed the damages calculation and sent that issue back to the trial court. Florida’s Supreme Court later declined review in November 2025. After the case returned to the lower court, a judge entered a new judgment of about $101.1 million on April 17, 2026, including prejudgment interest. Celsius said it planned to appeal and recorded an $85 million legal accrual based on its estimate of possible outcomes.

Another Flo Rida Royalty Lawsuit Followed

A separate royalty dispute followed the earlier Flo Rida case. Celsius disclosed in its May 2026 SEC filing that the same plaintiffs filed a new lawsuit on December 26, 2025, claiming rights to perpetual royalties of ten cents per case on domestic sales of Sparkling Orange Celsius from January 1, 2021. The complaint includes breach of contract and accounting claims. Celsius was served on April 10, 2026, filed a motion to dismiss on April 30, and denied wrongdoing. This case is separate from the earlier stock-compensation judgment and focuses on claimed royalty rights under the parties’ business agreements.

Alani Nu Wrongful-Death Case Has a Different Defendant

Celsius acquired Alani Nu in 2025, and a wrongful-death lawsuit filed in Texas on April 8, 2026, later raised claims tied to the brand. The case concerns the death of 17-year-old Larissa Rodriguez and her alleged consumption of Alani Nu energy drinks. Glazer’s Beer and Beverage entities are named as defendants, while Celsius itself was not named in the case according to its May 2026 SEC filing.

Plaintiffs allege that high caffeine intake contributed to cardiomyopathy and that the product lacked proper warnings for minors. Those claims remain allegations and have not been proven in court. Celsius said it believes the claims lack merit and cannot yet predict the outcome.

Texas Opened a Separate Celsius and Alani Nu Investigation

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation on June 4, 2026, into Celsius Holdings and its Alani Nu brand. The inquiry focuses on marketing practices and claims about product safety for teens and children. State officials also noted that a 12-ounce Alani Nu can contains 200 milligrams of caffeine.

Officials said they will examine whether the companies misled consumers under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. This remains an investigation, not a court judgment or finding of wrongdoing. Authorities could close the inquiry, seek changes, reach a settlement, or take further legal action based on the evidence.

Celsius Alcohol Recall Was Not the Preservative Lawsuit

A separate recall in 2025 caused confusion around Celsius products. High Noon recalled two production lots after a packaging supplier mistakenly sent empty Celsius Astro Vibe cans to the company. Certain cans were then filled with vodka seltzer even though the outside packaging identified them as Celsius energy drinks.

FDA records said the affected cans had silver lids and specific lot codes, and no illnesses or adverse events had been reported at that time. This was a packaging-error recall, not part of the earlier $7.8 million Celsius preservative class action.

Can Consumers Still Claim Money From the Old Celsius Settlement?

The deadline for the preservative-label settlement passed on February 13, 2023. The federal court granted final approval in April 2023 and dismissed the main action under the settlement. A person who simply finds the old settlement online now should not assume that the original claim form remains open.

The newer influencer case is different. It was still a proposed class action in Celsius’s May 2026 disclosure, and the court had not reached a final class-wide judgment in the record cited here. People should be cautious with websites that promise guaranteed Celsius lawsuit payments before a court has approved a class or settlement.

A person who believes a beverage caused a specific injury also faces a different legal question from someone who bought a product because of an allegedly misleading label. Personal injury claims depend on facts such as the product used, amount consumed, medical evidence, warnings, timing, causation, state law, and filing deadlines.

Celsius Lawsuit Timeline From 2019 to 2026

Celsius has faced several separate legal disputes over the years. This timeline shows the main developments and makes clear which events belong to the preservative case, Flo Rida disputes, influencer lawsuit, and Alani Nu matters.

These events do not form one continuous lawsuit. Each matter involves different claims, parties, and legal questions, so the status of one case does not determine the outcome of another.

Conclusion

Celsius drink lawsuit reports cover several different legal stories. The best-known consumer class action concerned the company’s former “no preservatives” label and ended with a $7.8 million settlement that received final approval in 2023. That case did not produce a court finding that Celsius drinks were unsafe, and the settlement did not serve as an admission of wrongdoing.

Newer matters have moved the legal focus toward influencer disclosures, endorsement contracts, royalties, and caffeine-related claims tied to Alani Nu. Flo Rida’s contract case produced a $101.1 million judgment in April 2026 that Celsius said it planned to appeal. A separate California consumer case over influencer relationships remained unresolved in Celsius’s May 2026 SEC disclosure, and Texas opened an Alani Nu-related investigation in June. Anyone who follows this topic should check which case a headline refers to before treating a settlement, allegation, recall, investigation, or judgment as the same legal event.

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