In 1988, Shirley T. Sparkling Soda appeared on the market. The brand behind Shirley T. Sparkling soda argued in court that because of the actress’s ubiquitous success as a movie star, the name was generic enough to name the drink. As Mental Floss reported, Temple responded to the lawsuit, saying, “I will fight it like a tigress. All a celebrity has is their name.”
According to Closer Weekly, Temple, who by age 68 had the married name of Shirley Temple Black, once told a friend she wouldn’t choose to drink her namesake beverage. She reportedly said, “No! I’m having a Black Russian with vodka. I’ll call it a Shirley Temple Black!”
And then in 1985, Temple talked to NPR about how she was frequently served her namesake drink. But again repeated that she wasn’t a fan of them, calling it a “saccharine, icky drink.” She elaborated, saying, “Well, those were created in the probably middle 1930s in Hollywood and I had nothing to do with it.”
