Marshals reintroduces Yellowstone fans to Kayce Dutton’s (Luke Grimes) new ride with U.S. Marshals as they protect Montana. However, one key character is absent from the spinoff series: Monica Dutton, portrayed by actress Kelsey Asbille in the original Paramount Network show. After viewers learned of Monica’s death, fans questioned why the creative team decided to kill her off.
Luke even expressed in an interview that he was “incredibly bummed” that Kelsey wasn’t invited to reprise her role in Marshals. So, what happened to Monica, and why didn’t she return to the Yellowstone universe? Here is everything we know about Monica’s death.
How Did Monica Dutton Die in Yellowstone?
After Monica and Kayce seemingly have their satisfying ending in Yellowstone, Marshals reveals in its season 1 premiere that she died of cancer, which developed from toxicity on the reservation.
Why Isn’t Kelsey Asbille in Marshals? Reason Behind Monica’s Death
Luke told Entertainment Weekly that Monica was killed off to provide Kayce with new motivation and introduce fresh “drama” into his journey.
“The way that Yellowstone ended for Kayce was literally he rode off into the sunset,” Luke explained in an interview following the Marshals season 1 premiere. “So, when he and the creative team began discussing the story behind Marshals, it was clear that something needed to change. Obviously, we can’t just watch this guy have his dream life. There’s no drama.”
Luke further stated that “something” needed to disrupt Kayce’s picture-perfect life, “Otherwise, why is he gonna take a badge? The last time we saw him, he was throwing a badge in a field. Is he gonna go pick it up?”
Nevertheless, Luke admitted that he didn’t expect to learn that Kelsey’s character would be killed off.
“I was not at all expecting that when I got the call that that’s their idea,” the actor shared. “And I felt two things simultaneously. One was I was incredibly bummed because Kelsey’s one of my really good friends and the coolest actors I’ve ever worked with. We’re really close, and for a while I couldn’t imagine doing it without her. I was like, ‘That doesn’t even make sense. Kayce and Monica are the same thing. They’re one.’ But I also realized, well, there’s a big story there.”
Showrunner Spencer Hudnut further elaborated on the team’s reasoning behind Monica’s death.
“It was important to try to honor that character,” Hudnut noted. “And also to use her passing as a way to highlight a real issue that reservations are facing. … She passed, which is why Tate wanted to go to the rally, which is why Kayce goes to the rally. And so she really is guiding his journey.”
Will Kelsey Asbille Come Back as Monica in Marshals?
It remains uncertain if fans will see flashbacks of Monica in Marshals, but showrunner Hudnut told EW that the character’s “presence and spirit will remain throughout this series.”
“She’s such a huge part of who Kayce Dutton is that she will be with him along the way,” Hudnut added.
