Luke Grimes says he called Kelsey Asbille after learning that Monica Dutton would be killed off in the Yellowstone spinoff Marshals, and he still thinks she has not watched the series. Speaking at CBS Fest on April 15, Grimes said he does not think Asbille has seen the show, though he added that he has not asked her directly.
Grimes said he and Asbille had a great conversation after the news landed. He said he was heartbroken for himself and for her when he read the storyline, because Monica’s death changed the center of the story he had worked on with her for years. He described Asbille as one of his best friends, calling her the coolest actor he has ever worked with and saying she is down to earth, sweet and kind to every other actor and the crew.
That reaction matters because Marshals opened in March 2026 with Monica already dead, one year into the spinoff’s timeline, and the show made clear in its premiere that she died of cancer sometime between the end of Yellowstone and the start of the new series. The first season runs 10 episodes, and season 2 is set to premiere this fall on CBS.
Grimes said he worked up the courage to call Asbille because he did not know how she would feel about the decision and wanted to see how she was doing. He said she handled it like a pro and totally understood, a response that fits the off-screen relationship he described as close and ongoing. “She’s going to do just fine,” he said. “She is so talented, gorgeous, and awesome.”
The question now is less whether Asbille approves of the choice than whether she has taken the time to watch how Marshals handled Monica’s absence. Grimes says he has not asked, and he does not think she has seen it yet. With another season due this fall, the spinoff is moving on without one of Yellowstone’s most recognizable characters, while the friendship between the two actors clearly has not.