Core Viewpoint - PepsiCo successfully dismissed a lawsuit from former executive Richard Montanez, who claimed the company defrauded and defamed him regarding the invention of Flamin' Hot Cheetos [1][2]. Group 1: Lawsuit Details - The lawsuit was dismissed by US District Judge John Holcomb, who stated that Montanez did not prove that PepsiCo intentionally failed to tell the "true story" of the creation of Flamin' Hot Cheetos [1]. - The judge ruled that PepsiCo did not defame Montanez by allegedly refusing to assist in a documentary about his life unless it debunked his claims [2]. - The court found that the actual malice standard for defamation was not met, as Montanez described himself as "part of the cultural canon" through his books and a film [4]. Group 2: Background on Richard Montanez - Montanez began his career at Frito-Lay in 1976 as a janitor and eventually became the vice president of multicultural marketing and sales [5]. - He claims to have created Flamin' Hot Cheetos in 1989 by experimenting with seasonings on unflavored Cheetos, drawing inspiration from elote, a Mexican grilled corn dish [6]. - Flamin' Hot Cheetos was introduced by PepsiCo in 1992 and has since become a multibillion-dollar brand [6]. Group 3: Impact on Montanez's Career - Montanez reported a significant loss in speaking engagements, which were previously booked at $10,000 to $50,000 each, following a 2021 article that questioned his role in the creation of Flamin' Hot Cheetos [7]. - Frito-Lay later clarified that its comments were misconstrued and did not doubt Montanez's contributions to new Cheetos products [7]. - Montanez's story has been featured in the 2023 film "Flamin' Hot" directed by Eva Longoria and in two memoirs [8].