What Is the Sierra Mist Lawsuit?
The Sierra Mist lawsuit is a viral claim that PepsiCo targeted TikTok creator Cierra Mistt over her name. The story adds that PepsiCo then renamed Sierra Mist to Starry. No court case matching it was located in research.
Mistt posted videos in 2023 saying PepsiCo sent her a cease-and-desist letter. Her name sounds like the soda brand, which is where the story began. Viewers then repeated it as a finished lawsuit that she won.
Searches of the federal RECAP archive on CourtListener returned no case naming Cierra Mistt on October 5, 2026. The claim is separate from real consumer or trademark litigation over PepsiCo products. It involves no product defect and no class of injured buyers.
Why Was the Sierra Mist Lawsuit Filed?
No Sierra Mist lawsuit was filed; the story exists because creator Cierra Mistt said PepsiCo threatened to sue her. Her name sounds almost exactly like the soda brand, which made the claim easy to share.
PepsiCo announced on January 11, 2023 that Starry would replace Sierra Mist as its lemon-lime soda. That timing let viewers connect the rename to her videos, even though the announcement came first.
The company's own stated reason was competition. Sierra Mist had about $1 billion in annual sales in 2021. Sprite had about $6 billion, according to reports of the announcement.
What Harms Does the Sierra Mist Lawsuit Allege?
The Sierra Mist lawsuit alleges nothing in court, because no case was located. Three legal theories appear in the online story. Each is a claim made in videos or posts, not a pleading.
Trademark Infringement
Trademark infringement is a legal claim that someone used a name or logo in a way likely to confuse buyers about who makes a product.
Mistt's account suggests PepsiCo objected to her username because it resembled the Sierra Mist brand. Trademark law is the field that governs brand-name disputes. No trademark complaint or USPTO proceeding naming her was located.
Copyright Infringement
Copyright infringement is a legal claim that someone copied a creative work, such as writing, music or images, without permission.
Mistt described the dispute as copyright infringement and said PepsiCo's copyright had lapsed. Trademark attorneys point out that brand names are protected by trademark law, not copyright. The mismatch is one reason her account is treated cautiously.
Defamation
Defamation is a legal claim that someone made a false statement of fact that harmed another person's reputation.
Mistt said PepsiCo wanted to sue her for copyright infringement and defamation, according to a GreenMatters report. No defamation filing was located. PepsiCo has not confirmed that any letter was sent.
What Is the Current Status of the Sierra Mist Lawsuit?
The Sierra Mist lawsuit has no court status as of October 5, 2026, because no filed case was located. The searches below cover federal dockets and trademark records. A private demand letter or confidential agreement would not appear in either.
Cierra Mistt and PepsiCo: No Docketed Case Located
A full-text search of CourtListener's RECAP archive for "Cierra Mistt" returned zero results on October 5, 2026. A search for "Sierra Mist" returned 41 dockets. The captions reviewed were unrelated disputes where the brand name appears incidentally.
| Court | None located |
| Case Number | None located |
| Claimed Parties | Cierra Mistt and PepsiCo, Inc. (per online videos) |
| Claimed Dispute | Cease-and-desist letter over her username |
| Public Filings | None located in CourtListener (searched October 5, 2026) |
| Status | Viral claim; no lawsuit documented |
Absence from CourtListener does not prove no letter was ever sent. Private correspondence and sealed or state-court filings are outside that archive. The finding covers public federal records only.
SIERRA MIST Trademark Registration
PepsiCo, Inc. owns the SIERRA MIST trademark. A trademark-listing site reports registration No. 2495127, filed April 12, 2000, as registered and renewed on January 21, 2021. The listing was not opened on the USPTO's own site.
| Owner | PepsiCo, Inc. |
| Registration Number | 2495127 (as reported by Furm) |
| Filed | April 12, 2000 |
| Reported Status | Registered and renewed, January 21, 2021 |
| Other Registrations | Several older SIERRA MIST filings are listed as lapsed or cancelled |
| Verification | Aggregator listing; USPTO TSDR not directly queried |
Trademark rights do not end when a product leaves shelves. Copyright law does not cover brand names, so waiting for a copyright to expire cannot hand anyone a trademark.
Is There a Sierra Mist Lawsuit Settlement or Payout?
No. No Sierra Mist lawsuit settlement or payout has been documented as of October 5, 2026. No court has awarded money to anyone.
Mistt said in 2023 videos that the matter was resolved amicably, according to GreenMatters. She gave no amount, and PepsiCo has made no public statement. A private agreement could exist without any public record, so only the parties could confirm one.
Posts asking how much Cierra Mistt won against Pepsi assume a judgment that was not located. No dollar figure in circulation has a court record, a press release or a company statement behind it.
Sierra Mist Lawsuit Updates
Here are the latest Sierra Mist lawsuit updates, covering new court filings, rulings, and case-count reports as they're confirmed. As of October 2026, the claimed Cierra Mistt dispute remains in active pretrial litigation with no settlement announced. The full timeline below covers every verified development since the first case was filed.
Sierra Mist Lawsuit Timeline of Events
PepsiCo Introduces Sierra Mist
PepsiCo introduced Sierra Mist as a lemon-lime soda on May 7, 1999, according to Wikipedia. The brand was meant to compete with Sprite and 7 Up.
Sierra Mist Goes National
Sierra Mist became available in all U.S. markets in 2003, according to Wikipedia. It stayed a distant second-tier lemon-lime brand behind Sprite for the next two decades.
PepsiCo Renames the Soda Mist Twst
PepsiCo renamed Sierra Mist as Mist Twst in 2016 and brought back high-fructose corn syrup, according to Wikipedia. The change shows the brand had been renamed once before any viral claim existed.
The Name Reverts to Sierra Mist
PepsiCo reverted the Mist Twst name back to Sierra Mist in 2018, according to Wikipedia. The brand kept that name until Starry replaced it in January 2023.
PepsiCo Files the Starry Trademark
A PepsiCo trademark filing for Starry was made in August 2022, according to Wikipedia. That filing predates every video in which Cierra Mistt discussed PepsiCo.
PepsiCo Announces Starry to Replace Sierra Mist
PepsiCo announced Starry on January 11, 2023 as its new lemon-lime soda, in regular and zero-sugar versions, according to Today. Reports of the announcement cite Sierra Mist's roughly $1 billion in 2021 sales against Sprite's roughly $6 billion.
Cierra Mistt Posts a TikTok Saying PepsiCo Tried to Sue Her
Cierra Mistt posted a TikTok video in February 2023 saying PepsiCo tried to sue her and lost, according to GreenMatters. She described the matter as amicably resolved and gave no court details.
Mistt Repeats the Claim in a YouTube Video
Mistt said in a July 2023 YouTube video that PepsiCo accused her of trademark infringement, according to GreenMatters. She said she could not discuss details for legal reasons, and no court filing was cited.
GreenMatters Reports PepsiCo Has Not Commented
GreenMatters published a report on December 12, 2023 saying PepsiCo had not commented on Cierra Mistt's claims. The report offered no court record and said the true nature of any dispute was hard to determine.
What Has PepsiCo Said About the Sierra Mist Lawsuit?
PepsiCo has not publicly addressed the Sierra Mist lawsuit claim or confirmed sending any letter to Cierra Mistt. Press reports from 2023 and 2024 say the company did not respond to her videos.
The company's stated reason for the change was competition in the lemon-lime category. Its January 11, 2023 announcement presented Starry as a new product with a different flavor profile.
The table below sets each viral claim beside what the public record shows.
| Viral Claim | What the Record Shows | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PepsiCo renamed Sierra Mist after losing a lawsuit | No docketed case located; Starry was announced as a new product on January 11, 2023 | CourtListener; Today |
| Mistt won money from PepsiCo | No amount, judgment or settlement is public; she said only that it was resolved amicably | GreenMatters |
| Mistt bought the Sierra Mist rights after a copyright lapsed | Brand names fall under trademark law, and PepsiCo is reported as the registered owner | NameStormers; Furm |
| Starry exists because of her videos | The Starry trademark was filed in August 2022, before her 2023 videos | Wikipedia |
None of these entries proves the letter was never sent. They show only that the public record supports the soda company's own account of a business decision.
Are There Other Lawsuits Related to the Sierra Mist Lawsuit?
No related case could be confirmed, although other searches use the same words. The "Sierra Mist OnlyFans lawsuit" query draws about 110 monthly searches. The commentary page it leads to says no such suit exists.
Some websites describe Sierra Mist consumer class actions over labeling. A CourtListener search for "Sierra Mist Natural" returned no cases, and none of those sites cites a docket number.
| Matter | Subject | Relationship to This Page | Reported Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cierra Mistt and PepsiCo (this page) | Username and Starry rename claim | The viral claim described on this page | No docket located |
| "Sierra Mist OnlyFans lawsuit" searches | Brand name used by adult-content creators | Different story with the same keyword | Source page says no suit exists |
| Alleged Sierra Mist labeling class actions | "Natural" flavor claims | Unrelated consumer theory described on some sites | No case located in CourtListener |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sierra Mist lawsuit about?
The Sierra Mist lawsuit is a viral claim that PepsiCo threatened creator Cierra Mistt over her name. The story adds that the soda was renamed Starry as a result. No court case was located, and PepsiCo has not confirmed it.
Is the Sierra Mist lawsuit a class action or MDL?
No. The Sierra Mist lawsuit is neither a class action nor multidistrict litigation, because no filed case was located. The story involves one creator and one company, so no group of other claimants can join.
Did Pepsi pay Cierra Mistt a Sierra Mist lawsuit settlement?
No payment has been documented as of October 5, 2026. Mistt said the matter was resolved amicably but gave no amount. PepsiCo has made no public statement about any agreement.
Why did Sierra Mist change to Starry?
Sierra Mist changed to Starry because PepsiCo wanted a stronger lemon-lime competitor to Sprite, according to reports of its January 11, 2023 announcement. Sierra Mist had about $1 billion in 2021 sales against Sprite's roughly $6 billion.
Did the Starry rename happen because of a lawsuit?
No court record links the Starry rename to a lawsuit. The Starry trademark was filed in August 2022, before Cierra Mistt's 2023 videos, and PepsiCo has not tied the change to her.
Does PepsiCo still own the Sierra Mist trademark?
Yes, PepsiCo is reported as the registered owner of the SIERRA MIST trademark. Brand names fall under trademark law, so a lapsed copyright could not hand the name to anyone else.