Judge Rejects Claim Over Origin of Flamin' Hot Cheetos

The long-contested legend that Richard Montañez invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos while working as a janitor at Frito-Lay hit a major legal snag this week. A federal judge dismissed Montañez's fraud and defamation lawsuit against Frito-Lay and PepsiCo, though he left the door open for Montañez to amend his suit by June 13, reports Courthouse News. Neither side has yet to comment on the ruling. If Montañez does not update his complaint with new evidence, the case will be dismissed.

Montañez, who rose from janitor to become a PepsiCo exec and then a public speaker and author, alleged that company statements disputing his claim that he invented the recipe harmed his reputation and cost him business. His lawsuit claims that he and his wife developed the idea for chili-spiced Cheetos in their home kitchen—a claim amplified in two memoirs and a 2023 film, per the Washington Post. The company, however, said internal records and employee interviews show Montañez was not involved in the product's test marketing, calling the viral story more "urban legend" than fact. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)