The past 18 months have provided a rare moment of peace and relief from the constant violence and volcanic disruptions of Yellowstone. With Taylor Sheridan moving away to script, produce, and film other projects at Paramount, the world of Yellowstone has remained at a standstill as far as the Duttons and their villainous shenanigans are concerned.

But the long delay in between the two-part finale has also been the forebearer of bad news. With tension between Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan at an all-time high, the chances of his return as John Dutton in the season finale have become negligible. On the homefront, more unrest has been brewing over the lawsuit that Yellowstone creator has filed against one of his core cast members, Cole Hauser, over the logo of his coffee company.

Yellowstone Creator Arrived At an Impasse With Cole Hauser

In a moment of vulnerability and mutual respect, even admiration perhaps, Yellowstone star Cole Hauser admitted to his volatile love-hate relationship with creator Taylor Sheridan himself. Describing him as an “intense” person, Hauser went on to explain his own volatile character before going at length about Sheridan during a Men’s Journal interview.

Asked about whether he had ever been involved in a bar fight in his life, Hauser confidently replied:

I’ve probably been in one on every continent. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with fighting. Sometimes I’m just tired of words, so let’s beat the s*** out of each other. 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.

Taylor Sheridan conferred Cole Hauser’s assessment of “what guys do” as well in somewhat similar terms. In response to the Men’s Journal statement, Sheridan admitted that he “feels similarly” about men resolving their conflicts through a bout of fistfights, even going so far as to admit that they too were involved in one during their second meeting before working closely for 7 years on Yellowstone.

Taylor Sheridan Sues Cole Hauser Over Coffee Company

After fostering a close working relationship with each other on the Yellowstone sets, the off-screen relationship between Taylor Sheridan and Cole Hauser turned frosty over a conflict regarding their respective coffee companies. Both businesses, which rely heavily on promotions from both stars, feature a similarly stylized logo.

However, considering that Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch launched its logo in 2004 and acquired its federal registrations in 2020, Cole Hauser’s Free Rein coffee company was infringing on the Bosque Ranch logo’s trademark rights. According to the lawsuit filed by Sheridan, Hauser’s company uses “a brand mark strikingly similar to Bosque Ranch’s registered trademark, potentially misleading consumers.”

With Kevin Costner already feuding with Taylor Sheridan, the Cole Hauser coffee incident just seems to be the cherry on top for the Yellowstone cast. With no clear foresight on where the series might be headed in its final leg, the audience can only hope the characters get to find closure and that Sheridan does justice to the finale instead of subjecting the beloved series to Game of Thrones Season 8 treatment.

Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2 will stream exclusively on Paramount+ in November 2024.