Yellowstone’s Taylor Sheridan and Cole Hauser’s Legal Drama, Explained

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Yellowstone has encountered various challenges throughout its existence, such as Kevin Costner leaving and the SAG-AFTRA strike. However, its latest obstacle nearly caused concern among fans that the popular Western show’s comeback might be postponed even longer. Unlike all other seasons, including the initial part of the final chapter, the second half of Season 5 had a delay of two years in its release.

It’s only natural that fans expressed worry about possible delays in production. After all, they found themselves caught up in a significant legal disagreement between the show’s creator, Taylor Sheridan, and actor Cole Hauser, known for his role as Rip Wheeler. The question is: What was the source of their conflict, and how did they manage to resolve it?

Sheridan Filed a Lawsuit Against Hauser’s Free Rein Coffee Brand

Cole Hauser, known for his acting roles in movies like Matthew Parkhill’s action thriller “Rogue” and “2 Fast 2 Furious”, seems to have a special affection for coffee, a popular drink cherished worldwide. Consequently, Hauser chose to establish a business that merged the essence of cowboys with coffee, catering to the fans of this culture by providing them a taste of the old west through his unique blend.

It turns out Hauser’s idea for Free Rein, which seemed to be moving towards a more cowboy-themed business, was somewhat similar to trademarks linked with Yellowstone, particularly Bosque Ranch, a significant company run by Sheridan that deals in coffee and Western lifestyle goods. This might have led to the legal team of Yellowstone filing a lawsuit in November 2023, claiming that the name and logo of “Free Rein” are strikingly similar to those of Bosque Ranch.

It’s quite intriguing because the names “Free Rein” and the other brand share similarities in the letters “F”, “R”, and “B”. To clarify, the lawsuit alleges that Free Rein infringes on trademark rights and misleads consumers about its own identity, potentially leading to significant harm. Furthermore, it appears that both brands’ competing interests and overlapping target markets may have turned them into fierce rivals.

The Two Ultimately Settled the Legal Issue

As a film enthusiast, I must say, the unexpected legal dispute among the cast of “Yellowstone” wasn’t something we anticipated. Thankfully, it didn’t drag on for months, but instead, was brought to a close. In defense of Kyle Housekeeper (a.k.a. Rip Wheeler), the term “Free Rein” isn’t exclusive to “Yellowstone,” rather it signifies the unique flavor and essence of his coffee brand.

Moreover, his legal team emphasized that their company’s logo bears no resemblance to Yellowstone’s iconic imagery. They also argued that Taylor Sheridan was attempting to monopolize common Western terms associated with the genre.

It seems that generic phrases such as Free Rein can be applied broadly and aren’t easily protected by copyright. Therefore, Sheridan had to demonstrate that Hauser’s brand was causing confusion among consumers in relation to his own. Ultimately, the dispute was settled out of court early in 2024, although the specifics of the agreement were kept confidential. It is plausible that Hauser made minor changes to their branding and advertising, or perhaps Sheridan chose to compromise with the Yellowstone actor.

Sheridan and Hauser’s Legal Battle Did Not Impact ‘Yellowstone’

As a passionate movie enthusiast, I was initially under the impression that with such a heated conflict between Hauser and Sheridan, their friendship might have taken a hit, more so considering they were still working on “Yellowstone” Season 5 Part 2. To my delight, however, they managed to keep their personal lives separate from their profession, resulting in a harmonious collaboration that brought us the highly anticipated finale. Despite the tension, Hauser continued to be an integral part of the cast and the show’s final episodes were filmed without any hiccups, mainly due to the fact that neither of them wished for the public scrutiny to overshadow “Yellowstone”, a series that is undeniably one of the most successful modern Western TV productions.

It’s worth mentioning that Kevin Costner, the lead actor of the show who recently stepped away to pursue other projects, owns a coffee brand named Horizon Blend. This brand shares similarities with Free Rein and Bosque Ranch in its western theme and cowboy imagery. Given that Sheridan perceives Hauser may be using Yellowstone’s unique elements to advertise his business, it seems plausible due to the influence of the series on popularizing certain lifestyles, even though cowboy culture is common in Texas. The ongoing legal dispute between Sheridan and Hauser leaves us wondering about who holds the correct claims.

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2025-02-16 03:34