What Happened to John Dutton’s Wife, Evelyn Dutton?

Fans of the Yellowstone series are on the edge of their seats as they watch the Dutton family fight to defend their lands. The show has plenty of enigmatic characters, and one that has fans debating is Evelyn Dutton, John Dutton’s wife. There are a lot of speculations about her death and her relationship with her family, especially Beth Dutton. 

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For starters, she only made four appearances in the show, all of which were in a flashback or simply photos of her shown during the show. One thing is for sure, John Dutton hasn’t moved on after losing his beloved spouse, even after decades have passed since her death.

Her death also took a considerable toll on her children, especially Beth. As most Yellowstone fans know, Evelyn was tough on Beth during her childhood. Enough for some viewers to speculate that she hates her daughter. 

What Happened to Evelyn?

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RELATED: Did John Dutton Die in the Yellowstone Series? 

So, how did Evelyn Dutton die? She lost her life on March 30, 1997, during a horseback riding accident. Her horse got spooked and fell on her while she was out riding with Beth and Kayce. 

Before the tragic incident, Beth was nervous while on her horse, causing it to get spooked. As a result, Evelyn’s horse also got spooked, resulting in her death. When she falls, Kayce stays by Evelyn’s side while Beth rushes off to call for help. 

During that time, Evelyn looks at Beth and says, “She did this. Let her undo it.” While Beth managed to find and bring her father to the scene, they were too late. Evelyn Dutton takes her last breath when John reaches her. As for Beth, she gets traumatized by the incident and the harsh dying words of her mother. 

Evelyn and Beth’s “Talk”

It’s no secret that throughout her appearance in Yellowstone, Beth’s mother, Evelyn Dutton was tough on her. It led to many fans thinking that she hated her. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case at all. It turns out she was hard on her because she wanted to toughen her up. 

Evelyn even said something to Beth the day the young girl got her first period. Evelyn says that everything will change for Beth starting that day. She made her aware that she was entering a world dominated by men. 

Now because of that, Evelyn says she’ll be harder on her so that she can turn Beth into something that most men will never be. Evelyn then apologizes to her in advance, saying she will hate everything that’s about to happen to her. 

Why Does Beth Blame Herself for Her Mother’s Death? 

“A horse is only scared of what you’re scared of – you’re scared of everything. Now, he is too…”
– Evelyn Dutton (Gretchen Mol) #Yellowstone pic.twitter.com/P4Pqjg9yXf

— Yellowstone (@Yellowstone) July 12, 2018

Following her mother’s death, Beth starts having a terrible time in life. It seems she is blaming herself for everything that happened that day. She feels guilty about the accident and, at one point, even believes that she killed her mother by “being scared” when they went horseback riding that time. 

Both siblings had to deal with their loss at a young age. It’s safe to say that her mother’s passing and coldness towards her during her death have left a lasting trauma on Beth. In one episode, during Evelyn’s death anniversary, Beth, struggling to cope, bathed in a trough and drank champagne to wash away her guilt. 

Though already gone, Evelyn Dutton still significantly impacts everyone she’s left behind in Yellowstone, especially Beth. What other consequences Evelyn’s death has for the rest of the family remains to be seen.