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While we’re used to seeing Kevin Costner dominate headlines, another cowboy from the Western drama is under heat from the creator of Yellowstone. Why is Taylor Sheridan suing Cole Hauser? Keep reading to learn about the new lawsuit below.

Yellowstone is Paramount Network’s drama series created by Taylor Sheridan (Tulsa King, Mayor of Kingstown) that follows the Dutton family, the owners of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, also known as “The Yellowstone,” the largest ranch in Montana. The series is led by Kevin Costner, who plays patriarch John Dutton III and revolves around the family’s drama at the ranch with the Broken Rock Indian Reservation and wealthy land developers.

It’s almost been one year since Deadline first reported that Paramount Network chose to end Yellowstone to create a new show without Costner due to filming and scheduling issues with the lead actor. This was just one of many alleged conflicts between Costner and Sheridan (we made a detailed timeline of the drama here).

Sheridan finally addressed allegations against Costner in a lengthy interview with The Hollywood Reporter in June 2023. “My last conversation with Kevin was that he had this passion project he wanted to direct. He and the network were arguing about when he could be done with Yellowstone. I said, ‘We can certainly work a schedule toward [his preferred exit date],’ which we did,” Sheridan explained. As for the alleged shooting schedule issues with Costner, Sheridan stated that he “didn’t do anything to begin with!” adding that he doesn’t dictate the schedule. “I don’t determine when things start filming.”

On July 5, 2023, Insider reported that Costner cut ties with Yellowstone and was “no longer under contract” for the hit Paramount show. A few months later, Costner (John Dutton III) told the court in his divorce trial that he originally agreed to make seasons five, six, and seven of Yellowstone for $12 million each. Still, negotiations for Season 6 fell apart when Paramount allegedly backed away. “There were issues about creative,” Costner said about talks with Sheridan and producers.

It’s unknown whether Costner will be returning to finish the last season. Based on a recent lawsuit filed in Texas, Sheridan may not be on the best terms with another Yellowstone star.

Why is Taylor Sheridan suing Cole Hauser?

Why is Taylor Sheridan suing Cole Hauser? Sheridan’s brand Bosque Ranch filed a suit against Hauser’s Free Rein Coffee Company for “trademark infringement, unfair competition and false advertising.” The lawsuit was filed on November 21, 2023, in the Northern District of Texas’s federal court in San Angelo. Hauser has played Rip Wheeler on Sheridan’s hit show Yellowstone since Season 1.

According to San Angelo Live, the suit alleges that Free Rein uses “a brand mark strikingly similar to Bosque Ranch’s registered trademark, potentially misleading consumers.” If you look at the brands’ logos, they both use intertwined letters stacked on each other. “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,” the lawsuit also claims.

In October 2023, Hauser launched his coffee brand, Free Rein Coffee Company. “I’ve grown up around cowboys my whole life,” the Santa Barbara native penned on Instagram. “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,” he continued. “Not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.”

According to the Free Rein website, the company sells whole and ground beans, coffee pods, and bundles. Hauser’s roasts feature names like American Dirt, Homestead, Prospect, and Heavy Spur, and his time in Montana inspired him to create a brand that “embodied the spirit of the West.”

Sheridan used Bosque Ranch for filming parts of Yellowstone and its Paramount+ prequel 1883. It’s unknown how this lawsuit will impact Hauser’s relationship with the famed director and writer moving forward. Following delays caused by the Hollywood strikes, Paramount Network announced last month that the final episodes of Yellowstone will now arrive in November 2024. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

Yellowstone is now available to stream on Peacock.

For more on Yellowstone, check out our gallery of the Yellowstone cast’s salaries below and learn which star makes the most.

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