Dwayne Johnson's ZOA Energy $3M Settlement Payments Are Going Out - Did You File?

Quick Facts

• Settlement fund: $3 million
• Final approval: Granted by the court in 2026
• Payments: Issued as checks on October 16, 2026
• Uncashed checks void after: April 14, 2027
• Claims deadline: Passed - February 20, 2026
• Administrator: Kroll Settlement Administration

If you filed an approved claim against ZOA Energy - Dwayne Johnson's energy drink brand - your payment has already been issued. The $3 million settlement got final court approval, and the official settlement website says payments for approved claims were issued as checks on October 16, 2026. Here's what to expect.

What Was the ZOA Energy Lawsuit About?

ZOA Energy built its identity around clean-label marketing. One of its core claims: "0 Preservatives." That phrase ended up in federal court.

Plaintiff Mikhail Gershzon filed Gershzon v. ZOA Energy, LLC (No. 3:23-cv-05444-JD) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, before Judge James Donato. The lawsuit argued that the "0 Preservatives" label was misleading because ZOA's drinks contain citric acid and ascorbic acid - both of which can function as preservatives.

ZOA Energy denied the allegations and maintained its labeling was truthful and compliant with regulations. Rather than fight the case to trial, both sides settled for $3 million. The court later granted final approval.

Who Gets Paid?

The claims window is closed. Only consumers who submitted a valid claim before the February 20, 2026 deadline are eligible. To qualify originally, you had to be a U.S. resident who bought a ZOA Energy drink labeled "0 Preservatives" for personal use between March 1, 2021 and November 21, 2025.

If you missed the deadline, you're not getting paid from this settlement. That's final.

How Much Are Payments?

The original rate was $1.00 per can claimed, capped at $10 per household without a receipt and $150 with one. The amended settlement agreement says per-claim payments are increased on a pro rata basis if money is left after approved claims are paid, and reduced pro rata if approved claims exceed the available funds. The official site hasn't published a final per-unit rate. Payments for approved claims were issued as checks on October 16, 2026.

Your payment depends on how many units you claimed and whether you submitted a receipt, since no-receipt claims were capped at $10 per household and receipt claims at $150 before any pro rata adjustment.

When Are Payments Going Out?

The official settlement website says all submitted claims have been reviewed and payments for approved claims were issued on Friday, October 16, 2026.

Kroll Settlement Administration is handling distribution. The official site describes the payments as checks.

Don't sit on your check: payments not redeemed within 180 days of issuance become void, and the official site says uncashed checks become void after April 14, 2027. Unredeemed money goes to the Clean Label Project as a cy pres donation.

My Payment Hasn't Come Yet - Now What?

Payments for approved claims were issued on October 16, 2026. If your check hasn't arrived, check the official settlement website at zoasettlement.com or contact Kroll at (833) 890-6436 about your claim.

The official site says all submitted claims have been reviewed.

Sources: zoasettlement.com (official settlement site, Gershzon v. ZOA Energy, LLC, No. 3:23-cv-05444-JD, N.D. Cal.); Amended Settlement Agreement; Consumer Affairs