Dutton’s death again.
‘Yellowstone’ actor Luke Grimes is speaking out about the death of his fictional wife on the spin-off show ‘The Marshalls.’
“I was sad for myself and I was sad for[Kelsey Asbill],” Grimes, 42, told TVLine in an interview published Sunday. He added that he “plucked up the courage” to call the actress.
“We had a great conversation. In true Kelsey fashion, she responded professionally and was completely understanding.”
Grimes, who played Casey Dutton on Taylor Sheridan’s hit ranch drama Yellowstone, is starring in its first spinoff, The Marshalls. On Sunday, the series premiere began with the reveal that Casey’s wife Monica (Asbir) died off-screen after the events of Yellowstone.
Series creator Spencer Hudnutt told the publication that Yellowstone gave Casey and Monica a “beautiful” ending.
“So, when I first met Luke, he said, ‘Casey’s really happy. Are you going to make a show about someone who’s really happy?'” We had to shake up his life to get him off the ranch and into a new position. ”
However, Hudnut also told The Hollywood Reporter that Asbir cannot appear in “The Marshalls.”
His contradictory statements made it unclear whether her exclusion from the show was due to scheduling conflicts or storytelling choices. Page Six has requested comment.
The creator said the actress was “not part of” the conversation surrounding not being part of “Marshalls.”
“I can’t really talk about how and why it unfolded the way it did. But when it happened, it became clear to Casey what it was. And the way we did it, my goal was to make ‘Yellowstone.’ I think it was about not ruining that journey in… They got what they wanted in the end, but unfortunately, life just intervened and messed up everything that Casey wanted. So that’s where we find him in ‘The Marshalls.’
In the show, Monica dies of cancer caused by environmental toxins.
“I felt like I could connect her death to a real issue and shine a little bit of a spotlight on it (and it was right),” Hudnutt told the outlet.
“Our reservations have a very high rate of cancer, and that’s because of all the terrible things that have been done to them. So it felt like a way to honor that character, and she kind of guides Casey.”
Yellowstone, directed by Sheridan, aired on Paramount from 2018 to 2024. The hit drama was essentially a cowboy version of Succession, following the Dutton family, including patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner) and his adult children Casey, Beth (Kelly Reilly), and Jamie (Wes Bentley).
Casey’s wife Monica was a notable supporting character.
“Marshalls” follows Casey as he returns to his military roots after the events of “Yellowstone” and joins an elite team of U.S. Marshals led by his old friend Pete Calvin (Logan Marshall-Green). Sheridan still produces the show, but Hudnutt is the showrunner.
Further complicating Asbir’s departure is that her casting was controversial.
The character is Native American, and Asbir claimed he had such a background, but a 2017 Buzzfeed report found no record of that.
Page Six has reached out to Asbille for comment.
In 2017, Suicide Squad actor Adam Beach even called for a boycott of Yellowstone over the show.
“What struck me about this was that there were a lot of Native female actors who needed work,” he told the magazine. “I called out to him right away.”
In recent interviews, neither Grimes nor Hudnut have said whether the controversy surrounding her career influenced their choice to kill Monica.
She was an unpopular character even among Yellowstone fans.
“I can’t like or even respect Monica,” complained one critic on Reddit, while another noted, “I can’t stand her.”
A third fan accused her of always being “moody” and playing the “victim”.
“She’s such a nag. I feel bad saying that as a woman, but her complaining was half the reason Casey wasn’t at peace,” another fan pointed out.
“Marshalls” airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on CBS.
