Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan can't seem to escape conflict on set, ahead of the presumed return to filming after countless delays thanks to the SAG-AFTRA strike, among other reasons.
Months after enduring a rift with lead star Kevin Costner that led to filming delays and unexpectedly anticipated the end of the hit Paramount series, tension has brewed (no pun intended) between the showrunner and another Yellowstone favorite.
This time around however, the two are taking their rift away from the set and to court instead.
Court documents obtained by People reveal that Taylor's Bosque Ranch – an equine facility in Texas owned by Taylor where Yellowstone is filmed, and several other industry events are hosted – has sued Cole's coffee company Free Rein.
The suit was filed on November 21, and per the filing, Free Rein is being accused of "trademark infringement, unfair competition and false advertising," citing the similarities in their logos, namely both of their use in overlapping letters.
The logo for Bosque Ranch, which was founded in 2005, features an overlapping B and R, while Free Rein, launched in October of this year, features a more decorated overlapping F and R.
The filing further claims: "Neither Hauser nor the Defendants asked or received permission or authorization of Sheridan or Bosque Ranch to use a mark confusingly similar to the BR Brand for virtually identical goods."
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The lawsuit comes on the heels of Bosque Ranch's new partnership with Community Coffee Partners; the collaboration was inked in June and released in October.
"The Cowboy way of life doesn't wait for the snow to melt or the rain to break. It starts before dawn and ends after dark. Meals will be missed and supper worked right through. But the one thing as essential to the Cowboy as his boots and saddle is coffee. It is our fuel. Bosque Ranch Craft Coffee is bold yet smooth and meant to be sipped all day. And sometimes all night," said Taylor at the time.
In turn, Cole, who stars as John Dutton's son-in-law Rip Wheeler in the Western drama, said in a press release in October that his coffee brand was a “nod to the rugged spirit of the West" meant to pay tribute to "the hard working cowboys" that he grew up around.
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Before its October launch, Free Rein had been operating in San Angelo, Texas for over 25 years when Cole then bought the company.
Yellowstone, which premiered the first half of its fifth and final season in November 2022, is set to end with the second half in November of 2024.
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