Did Monica Dutton Die? The Truth About Yellowstone Star

It didn’t take long for Marshals viewers and Yellowstone fans to learn Monica Dutton’s fate.

Kayce Dutton’s wife (played by Kelsey Asbille) wasn’t in trailers but she was never explicitly announced as a non-participant in the new Yellowstone spin-off. Instead, the cast and show’s creators said nothing. Asbille also remained quiet.

Just minutes into Ep. 1 of Marshals, viewers learn why.

• Marshals premiered on CBS on Sunday (March 1).
• Actor Brecken Merrill (Tate Dutton), Gil Birmingham (Thomas Rainwater) and Mo Brings Plenty (Mo) are three Yellowstone characters announced as cast members of Marshals.
• The new series finds Kayce joining a team of U.S.Marshals in Montana.

This article contains major spoilers about Ep. 1 of Marshals. The Dutton Rules podcast team will break down Ep. 1 of Marshals during a live YouTube podcast on Tuesday at 2PM CT.

Did Monica Dutton Die?

Monica Dutton died between the end of Yellowstone and the start of Marshals. Viewers are led to believe a year or so passed between the two shows. As Episode 1 unfurls, viewers learn what happened.

The opening scenes of Marshals are a dream sequence that find Kayce under fire as a Navy SEAL. He gets a call mid-battle and starts shouting “Where’s Monica?” When he wakes up, the camera pulls back to find him alone in bed.

A few moments later, Kayce is trying to prepare breakfast for his son Tate and failing. “Look, I know your mom was better at all of this,” he tells Tate.

That’s the first clue, but later those watching find out what happened to Monica.

A mine on the reservation had been leaching toxins into the water for years, causing cancer and death. The government hopes to expand the mine but there is a protest where those with loved ones who’ve died of cancer bring their photos.

Tate rallies, holding a picture of his mother, Monica.

“I was incredibly bummed because Kelsey’s one of my really good friends and the coolest actor I’ve ever worked with. We’re really close, and for a while I couldn’t imagine doing it without her.”

Monica Dutton Cause of Death

Monica Dutton died of cancer, leaving Kayce a single father to a teenaged Tate. It’s not an easy life for him, but until he gets involved in a U.S. Marshals’ mission he’s pushing forward as a cattle rancher.

The plot of Ep. 1 finds the Marshals first hunting men who have been harming reservation women, and then finding a bomber on the res. Both fights are personal to Kacye, so he helps and eventually decides that joining the team will help him heal.

At the end of the episode, viewers see Kayce at Monica’s grave, telling her how much he misses her but also saying he needs to make a major life change.

Why Did They Kill Off Monica on Marshals?

Actor Luke Grimes and Marshals show runner Spencer Hudnut say the plot of Marshals needed to be triggered by a major life event for Kayce. Remember, the couple ended Yellowstone at peace.

“Obviously we can’t just watch this guy have his dream life. There’s no drama,” Grimes tells EW. “Something’s gonna have to happen that gets in the way of him having that. Otherwise, why is he gonna take a badge?”

That’s why writers decided to kill off Monica, something Grimes was not expecting.

“I was incredibly bummed because Kelsey’s one of my really good friends and the coolest actor 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.”

Asbille still hasn’t commented to being written off the series. Her death will soon be added to this list of the most surprising from Yellowstone.