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

Yellowstone has faced numerous obstacles over the years, from the departure of its lead actor, Kevin Costner, to the SAG-AFTRA strike, but its most recent hurdle almost had fans worried that the iconic Western series’ return might be delayed even further. Unlike every other season, including the first part of the final installment, the second part of Season 5 took two years to arrive.

Naturally, fans were concerned about potential production delays. Fairly enough, they were faced with a crucial legal dispute between the series’ creator, Taylor Sheridan, and actor Cole Hauser, who plays Rip Wheeler. So, what did the two popular celebrities clash over, and how did they resolve it?

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

Cole Hauser is a prominent actor, having appeared in Matthew Parkhill’s action thriller Rogue and 2 Fast 2 Furious. However, the actor appears to have a particular fondness for coffee, one of the world’s most beloved beverages. As a result, Hauser decided to build an enterprise that brought the best of cowboys and coffee together, offering the admirers of the culture a taste of the old west.

Unfortunately, his idea ended up a little close to trademarks associated with Yellowstone, notably Bosque Ranch, Sheridan’s hugely influential company that sells coffee and Western lifestyle products. Perhaps Hauser’s expansion of Free Rein into a more cowboy-esque enterprise prompted Yellowstone‘s legal team to take action in November 2023, resulting in a lawsuit that alleges the name and logo of “Free Rein” closely resemble Bosque Ranch.

Surprisingly, it feels reasonable given the fact that the former is an overlap of the letters “F” and “R” while the latter is the same with “B” and “R.” The lawsuit also claims that Free Rein violates trademark infringement and falsely advertises their own brand, causing irreversible damage. Apparently, both brands’ conflicting interests and target audiences may have made them fierce competitors.

The Two Ultimately Settled the Legal Issue

While the Yellowstone actors’ dispute was undoubtedly unexpected, the legal drama did eventually come to an end, rather than being prolonged for months on both ends. In Hauser’s defense, “Free Rein” is a widespread term that isn’t specific to Yellowstone and emphasizes his coffee brand’s distinct taste and identity. His legal team also highlighted that the company’s logo does not mirror Yellowstone‘s imagery and that Sheridan is trying to monopolize generic Western words.

Apparently, generic terms like Free Rein can be used for anything and cannot be easily copyrighted, thus Sheridan had to prove that Hauser’s brand is causing confusion among consumers with his own brand. As a result, the case was resolved outside of court in early 2024, albeit on confidential terms. It is likely that Hauser agreed to make minor adjustments to branding and advertising, or that Sheridan may have been inclined to reach an agreement with the Yellowstone actor.

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

With a conflict such as this, one would expect Hauser and Sheridan to be on poor terms, especially since they were still working on Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2. However, they did not let personal lives interfere with their profession, ultimately working together to bring fans the highly awaited finale. Hauser remained a significant cast member, and the show’s final episodes were filmed uninterrupted, mostly because they did not want the public dragging down Yellowstone, which is arguably the most successful modern Western TV series.

It should also be noted that the series’ main star, Kevin Costner, who recently left Yellowstone to focus on other ventures, has his own coffee brand called Horizon Blend, which is very similar to Free Rein and Bosque Ranch, featuring western marketing tactics and cowboy-esque imagery. It’s reasonable that Sheridan felt Hauser may have been exploiting Yellowstone‘s distinctive traits to promote his business, because, even though cowboy culture is widely prevalent in Texas, the highly popular Western series has made many of these lifestyles commonplace. So, who do you believe is right in the legal dispute between Sheridan and Hauser?