The set of a popular Paramount show probably isn’t very pleasant right about now.
Yellowstone is one of the most beloved shows in recent memory.
Premiering on June 20, 2018, it’s an American neo-Western drama television series created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson.
The show stars some big names along with actors who were less well-known before the series, including Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, and Gil Birmingham.
The story follows the conflicts along the shared borders of the Yellowstone Ranch, a large cattle ranch, the Broken Rock Indian reservation, Yellowstone National Park and land developers.
It was announced in May 2023 that the fifth season will be its last and will be followed by the sequel series titled 2024.
Sheridan began work on the series in 2013, having recently grown tired of acting and switching to screenwriting.
Because he previously lived in the rural parts of Texas and Wyoming, Sheridan set the series in Montana and set the first scripts in Livingston.
After being passed on by HBO, Paramount Network announced in 2017 that it had greenlit its first scripted series, Yellowstone.
Now, the show is a huge hit, and fans want to know more about what the cast’s relationship is like offscreen.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the set is a pleasant place at the moment, with the creator of the series filing a lawsuit against one of its main characters.
Creator Taylor Sheridan has filed a lawsuit against the show’s star, Cole Hauser.
Sheridan’s company Bosque Ranch, which also serves as a filming location for the series and has its own coffee brand, sued Hauser’s Free Rein coffee company last month.
The suit accuses Hauser’s company of trademark infringement, unfair competition and false advertising, according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by NBC News.
Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch launched a coffee line in partnership with Louisiana-based Community Coffee back in June. The company’s logo has a B and R that are intertwined.
Hauser launched his own coffee company, Free Rein, just four months later, in October. Their logo depicts intertwined letters of F and R.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Nov. 21 in federal court of the Northern District of Texas, alleges Hauser’s logo is “strikingly similar” to Bosque Ranch’s registered trademark.
Sheridan’s company alleges Hauser’s logo was purposefully used to “mistake or to deceive as to the affiliation, connection, or association” with Bosque Ranch.
Bosque Ranch also alleged the interlocking letter design of Hauser’s logo is causing “irreparable damage” to its brand.
While neither party has spoken publicly about the lawsuit, Hauser did talk about the brand on TODAY when it launched.
“It’s about taking risks, it’s about enjoying your time, having a little bit of coffee,” he said on the show.
Now, a 2022 interview with Men’s Journal has resurfaced, alleging that the pair actually got into a fight the second time they met.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with fighting. Sometimes I’m just tired of words, so let’s beat the s**t out of each other,” Hauser said at the time.
He continued, “Maybe at the end of it you’ll buy me a Guinness and I’ll buy you a Bushmills, and we’ll be done. It’s kind of what guys do.”
Now, their disagreements are being handled in court.
There’s also even more drama among the cast of the hit series.
Kevin Costner, who plays John Dutton III, claims that he hasn’t gotten what he’s owed from the show.
The actor testified during a child support hearing in September that he was owed $12 million from the show.
At the hearing, Costner said that they would probably go to court over the amount.
As of now, it’s unclear how the latest legal twist will affect the series’ final days of filming for its finale.
The second half of the fifth and final season is scheduled to premiere in November 2024.