The action-packed CBS series follows Kayce Dutton’s journey as a U.S. Marshal.

What happened to Monica on Marshals? Why you won’t see Kelsey Asbille in the Yellowstone spinoff

The action-packed CBS series follows Kayce Dutton's journey as a U.S. Marshal.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a writer and editor at **. His work has previously appeared on *The A.V. Club, The Guardian, The Ringer*, and many other publications.

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March 3, 2026 12:47 p.m. ET

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Luke Grimes as Kayce and Kelsey Asbille as Monica on 'Yellowstone'. Credit:

Kevin Lynch/Paramount Network

- *Marshals* is a *Yellowstone* spinoff about Kayce Dutton's new career as a U.S. Marshal.

- Kelsey Asbille, who played Kayce's wife Monica on *Yellowstone*, will not be a part of *Marshals*.

- The series' first episode reveals her character's fate.

**This article contains spoilers for the premiere of *Marshals*, "Piya Wiconi."**

Kelsey Asbille's Monica was integral to the arc of Luke Grimes' Kayce on *Yellowstone*, serving to tame her husband's more violent instincts.

It was a surprise, then, when Monica was absent from the marketing around *Marshals*, a CBS spinoff about Kayce's new career as a U.S. Marshal. How can his story continue without her? Well, we're about to find out.

During the show's March 1 premiere, it was revealed that Monica had died in the year separating the end of *Yellowstone* from the beginning of *Marshals*.

"Obviously we can't just watch this guy have his dream life. There's no drama," Grimes explained to **. "Something's gonna have to happen that gets in the way of him having that. 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?"

So, how does the show address Monica's death? And what else have Grimes and the *Marshals* team said about the decision? We answer those questions and more below.**

What is Marshals about?

Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton on 'Marshals'.

Set a year after the events of *Yellowstone*, *Marshals* finds a Kayce a "changed man" in the aftermath of Monica's death. Along with their son, Tate (Brecken Merrill), Kayce tends to the family ranch as he nurses his wounds.

"This downtime that he's had between the end of that show and the start of ours has forced him to confront some of his demons and really focus on being a father," showrunner Spencer Hudnut told EW.

Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton leads 'Yellowstone' into 'Marshals' territory

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He's given a renewed sense of purpose when Cal (Logan Marshall-Green), the former leader of his Navy SEAL unit, recruits him as a U.S. Marshal.

Per the official logline, *Marshals* finds Kayce "combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana, where he and his teammates must balance family, duty and the high psychological cost that comes with serving as the last line of defense in the region’s war on violence."**

How does *Marshals *address Monica’s death?

Brecken Merrill's Tate holding up a photo of Kelsey Asbille's Monica.

As we learn in the first episode of *Marshals*, Monica was one of several locals who died of cancer due to toxins being dumped onto the Broken Rock Reservation. Her death hits that much harder given how all she endured on *Yellowstone*, suffering a brain injury and later losing her unborn child in a car accident.

Her absence haunts the episode, which is built around a protest against the building of a mine that could further pollute the land. There, Tate holds up her picture. "After how much Mom suffered, we should be leading the charge here — not waving the white flag," Tate says to his dad.

After the rally is disrupted by an explosive, Kayce joins the Marshals to help track down the perpetrator. Emboldened and enlivened by the subsequent hunt, he chooses the join the Marshals and pursue a "new beginning" for him and his son.**

The episode ends with Kayce visiting her hilltop grave. "I miss my wife, my best friend, my only friend," he says. "Been so lost. The best part of me died with you. You always told me to fight for the life I want. But I had the life I wanted. It was with you. I’m changing paths."**

Why was the decision made to kill off Monica?

Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton at Monica's grave on 'Marshals'.

As Hudnut and Grimes explained to EW, Monica's death served as a motivating factor for Kayce to make a big change in his life. It also imbues the character with a darkness that *Marshals* will continue to explore.

"A person in that kind of pain could do anything," Grimes said. "There's something very volatile and very kinetic about that."

The creative team worked to handle Monica's death with care. "It was important to try to honor that character," Hudnut told EW. "And also to use her passing as a way to shine a spotlight on a real issue that reservations are facing."

He added, "Her 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."

What has Kelsey Asbille said about Monica’s death?

Luke Grimes as Kayce and Kelsey Asbille as Monica on 'Yellowstone'.

As of this writing, Asbille has yet to speak publicly about the decision to kill off Monica.

In an interview with TV Insider, however, Grimes revealed he called her to discuss the news. “I worked up the courage to call. I didn’t know how she was going to feel about it. I had to see how she was doing," he recalled. "We had a great conversation. In true Kelsey fashion, she handled it like a pro and totally understood. She’s going to do just fine. She is so talented, gorgeous, and awesome. She’s going to work. That’s not an issue.”

He also spoke with EW about the sadness of continuing Kayce's journey without her, despite the twist opening up several interesting avenues for the character. "I felt two things simultaneously," he said. "One was 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."**

Where can I watch Marshals?

*Marshals *airs Sundays on CBS and is available to stream on Paramount+.

Premium subscribers can stream it live and on-demand, while Essential subscribers can watch new episodes the following day.

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