Nik Richie, the internet personality behind the infamous Dirty.com and founder of Warrior Network Agency, found himself on the receiving end of a legal threat from Coachella‘s top attorney this week after his agency posted an AI-generated promotional image for Buffalo Energy drink that featured the Coachella and Stagecoach names and festival imagery. The response from all parties involved may be one of the more entertaining legal dustups festival season has ever produced.
Buffalo Energy’s Coachella Post Had One Major Problem
Warrior Network Agency posted to their Instagram account promoting Buffalo Energy drink, with the image prominently featuring the words “Coachella x Stagecoach” alongside the Coachella ferris wheel and festival grounds. The caption announced that WNA had “officially positioned and placed” Buffalo Energy at the festivals. There was just one problem… They hadn’t. The image was AI-generated, and no actual partnership or placement deal existed.
That post landed on the radar of Jason Bernstein, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of AEG Presents, the entertainment giant that owns and operates both Coachella and Stagecoach. Bernstein is the guy Coachella sends in when brands try to ride their coattails without paying for the privilege, and he has a long track record of backing that up in court.
Coachella Lawyer Warns ‘I’m Cool Either Way’ In Legal Threat
Bernstein fired off an email to Nik Richie that was equal parts intimidating and efficient. He skipped the formal cease and desist letter format and cut straight to the point, noting that COACHELLA, CHELLA, and STAGECOACH are all federally registered trademarks, as are the festival’s stylized logos, and that the festival imagery itself carries copyright protection.
He then laid out the stakes plainly: remove all marketing content immediately, or he would file in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on an ex parte basis, meaning he could walk into federal court without Nik Richie even getting a heads-up first.
He dropped links to previous Coachella lawsuits so Nik could do his own homework, including a case against a company called Safety Shot that tried to claim festival sponsorship. He gave Nik until midnight that night to comply and asked for written confirmation. “I’m cool either way, since I’m pretty certain I know how this ends,” Bernstein wrote. “The path we take to get there is up to you.”
It was a Friday night, one week before the festival.
Nik Richie Responds To Lawyer With Blunt ‘No Thanks’ Message
Bernstein followed up with a call request. Nik Richie, never one to play it safe or conventional, replied with four words: “No thanks. You sound like a d-ck.”
He then sent a second email to Bernstein, CC’ing Marc Randazza, the First Amendment attorney he brought in to handle things, calling Bernstein “Beta Berny” and pointing out that the image was AI-generated. He ribbed Bernstein for sending legal threats on a Friday night and signed off by telling him, “I love you more, and I’m excited for this journey together.”
Marc Randazza Steps In As ‘All-Timer’ Letter Makes Waves
Nik didn’t go it alone for long. He brought in Las Vegas-based First Amendment heavyweight Marc Randazza of Randazza Legal Group, and Randazza’s response letter to Bernstein is already making the rounds as an all-timer.
The letter, dated April 4, 2026, is addressed to “Attorney Bernstein” and opens by acknowledging that yes, Bernstein is upset, and offering a brief apology for that. Randazza confirmed that Nik took down the posts and would not imply any connection with Coachella or Stagecoach going forward.
Coachella Slammed As ‘Oasis For Douchebags’ In Legal Clapback
Then Randazza did what Randazza does. He quoted a Daily Beast line calling Coachella “an oasis for douchebags and trust fund babies” that “should be avoided at all costs,” said he personally agreed with that assessment based on his own experience flying into Palm Springs during festival weekend, questioned what Stagecoach even is, and suggested that if he were advising Buffalo Energy he would tell them to avoid any association with Coachella entirely.
He wrapped it up with: “Almost nobody saw the post anyway. You win. Good job.”