Emerson Miller
Some off-screen legal drama is percolating between “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan and one of the show’s main actors Cole Hauser. Several news outlets are reporting that Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch filed a lawsuit against Hauser’s coffee company Free Rein in late November alleging trademark infringement.
On top of this allegation, the lawsuit accuses Hauser’s coffee company of “unfair competition and false advertising,” according to an article in People Magazine. Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that, “Neither Hauser nor the Defendants asked or received permission or authorization from Sheridan or Bosque Ranch to use a mark confusingly similar to the BR Brand for virtually identical goods.”
Bosque Ranch/Free Rein
In laymen’s terms, Sheridan’s legal team aren’t pleased with the fact that Hauser’s new coffee brand has a similar logo to the Bosque Ranch Craft Coffee that began production in June. Both brand labels showcase two overlapping letters emblazoned on their product lines, which look too similar, according to the lawsuit.
Hauser’s Free Rein Coffee brand, which launched in October, was conceived as a tribute to “the hard-working cowboys that [Hauser] grew up around on and off set," according to a release from the company in lieu of the brand’s launch.
Free Rein offers six blends of coffee, created in a small-batch facility located in San Angelo, Texas, formally known as Longhorn Coffee. This facility has been roasting coffee beans for over 25 years before it was bought by Hauser and his business partners in 2022.
Keeping with the western motif, Hauser and associates gave all six Free Rein blends cowboy-inspired names like American Dirt and Homestead.
“As a nation built on dreams and aspirations, we want to inspire the go-getters, the dreamers, and the believers to fuel their pursuits,” Hauser said in a release. “Just as the American Dream knows no boundaries, we aim to exceed expectations and create a legacy of our own — one that is deeply connected to our roots and the core values that shaped us. I am so excited for everyone to finally have their hands on this coffee!”
Hauser, who is best known for playing the character Rip Wheeler on Sheridan’s flagship series, isn’t the only cast member to enter the culinary market outside of the western drama either. In September, chef Gabriel “Gator” Guilbeau, who has a small role as the cook on “Yellowstone,” released a cookbook filled with recipes inspired by dishes featured on the show. Yellowstone: The Official Dutton Ranch Cookbook, is full of recipes Guilbeau made for the cast during film shoots in Montana.
Per the future of the show that helped make these actors household names, it was announced in May, that the second half of season five, will be the popular show’s finale. This long-awaited second half of this Sheridan pinned-drama is scheduled to be released in November of 2024, due to the long-running writer’s strike that ended in September.
