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'Yellowstone' star opens up on Monica Dutton's unexpected death in spinoff 'Marshals': 'I was not...'

Played by Kelsey Asbille, the character was not going to be part of the Luke Grimes-led 'Yellowstone' spinoff.

Monica Dutton's off-screen death in 'Marshals' has been one of the major talking points about the hit CBS show. Played by Kelsey Asbille, the character was not going to be part of the Luke Grimes-led 'Yellowstone' spinoff. With the storyline revealing Monica's death, Kayce Dutton (Grimes) and his young son, Tate (Brecken Merrill), cope with grief as they mourn the devastating loss. Per Puck, journalist Matt Beloni revealed that the decision to kill Monica was made to make 'Marshals' look more than just another continuation of 'Yellowstone'. 

The report added that the move was part of the deal made before Paramount+ launched, and 'Yellowstone' cemented itself as one of the top franchises on the streamer. This means any spinoff from the franchise could stream on Paramount+, but any direct series would have to run on Peacock, since the other streamer bagged the rights to the franchise in 2020. ScreenRant theorized that removing Monica from the mix was likely an attempt to make 'Marshals' a continuation of 'Yellowstone.'

In the new show, Monica is shown to have died due to cancer as a result of the toxicity from the mining company, which has contaminated the waters of the Broken Rock Reservation. The trailer saw Asbiille as a notable absentee. Fans were instead witness to Kayce and Tate looking dejected and in tears as they watched a body being covered up. Essentially, her death now undoes the happy ending for Kayce and Monica in the 'Yellowstone' finale. It shows that their promising future was short-lived, and also sets the tone for Kayce's storyline in the series. At the time of writing, the series has completed five episodes with eight remaining in the debut run. 'Marshals' has already been renewed for a second season.

In related news, Grimes expressed his sadness with the decision to kill Monica. "I was not at all expecting that when I got the call that that's their idea," he told Entertainment Weekly. "And I felt two things simultaneously. "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. Obviously, we can't just watch this guy have his dream life. There's no drama." With the reason behind Monica's death finally explained, fans will now perhaps look to more of Kayce and his son's relationship, though her absence will hit the franchise faithful hard.