It’s no secret that 2023 has been full of drama for the Yellowstone saga.
First, it was announced that Kevin Costner was exiting the show due to conflicts in film scheduling, which ultimately led to the show getting cut down in the prime of its life. The second half of Season 5 is set to premiere in the fall of 2024 (seriously…) and it will be the series finale. In addition to the end of the show, at this point, it’s all but confirmed that Kevin Costner (John Dutton) won’t even be back for it.
What a disaster…
And just to add icing to the cake, Taylor Sheridan is now suing Cole Hauser’s coffee company, Free Rein.
Cole Hauser (Rip Wheeler on Yellowstone) recently launched a coffee brand out of San Angelo Texas called Free Rein, which was founded around the work ethic, morals, and toughness of cowboy life. In a post made to the company’s Instagram page, Hauser gave some of the backstory for why he wanted to enter this venture:
“I’ve grown up around cowboys my whole life. And I can tell you, there’s nobody on earth who works harder. I’m proud to announce that I’ve decided to start a coffee company inspired by these men and women who wake up before the dawn. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.
Free Rein is for anyone who gets up and works like a cowboy, gets up and chases a dream, or gets up and just feels like having a damn good cup of coffee. So get up and get after it. Dreams don’t work unless you do.”
Looks like Rip Wheeler started this company, not Cole Hauser, but I have to say, I dig the branding:
But according to San Angelo Live, Bosque Ranch Headquarters LLC, which is owned by Yellowstone creator and writer, Taylor Sheridan, has initiated a trademark infringement lawsuit against Free Rein Coffee Company and Code of the West LLC.
Located outside of Fort Worth, Texas, The Bosque Ranch is a 600-acre ranch where Sheridan keeps his own personal horses, as well as films episodes of Yellowstone and 1883. According to the website, the Sheridan plans to elevate operations by “hosting reining and cow horse reining events, film and TV shoots, concerts, music festivals, charity events and an on-going unique dining experience.” The ranch also features Nic’s Bar (named for his wife), which offers “drinks, food and dancing, while also offering a private event space to host cast and crew parties, special events and more in an authentic, warm environment and crafted cocktails.”
They recently partnered with Community Coffee to launch their own blend of coffee… and now we have a legal problem on our hands:
They claim that the logo of Free Rein is very similar to the logo of Bosque Ranch, and now that Bosque is doing their own coffee, they called in the lawyers to get Hauser and company to change the logo.
I mean, although the letters are different, the logo does look fairly similar in my opinion. I imagine Free Rein printed a whole lotta stuff with that logo on it and aren’t in any position to throw it out and start over.
Bosque Ranch is seeking permanent injunctive relief, damages, and profits from the defendants under the Lanham Act and Texas Law.
Man, what a mess… I don’t think anybody could’ve predicted all of this craziness Yellowstone has gone through in 2023. I also can’t imagine that Cole Hauser is going to want to be making an appearance in any future Taylor Sheridan endeavors anytime soon.
It was also reported that Kevin Costner might sue Taylor Sheridan and the show over his exit from the show, so it sounds like it’s a good time to be Taylor Sheridan’s lawyer.
Stay tuned…
