A Look at Kelsey Asbille and Her Role as Monica On Yellowstone

Yellowstone fans have long been interested in Kelsey Asbille, the actress that plays Monica, Kayce Dutton’s beautiful and resilient wife. Monica gave up the life she knew to live on the Dutton family ranch with her husband and son. As a mother, her main priority is the safety of her son Tate, whom she would gladly give her life to protect. 

Who is Kelsey Asbille? 

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Born on September 9, 1991, Kelsey Asbille Chow is an American actress from Columbia, South Carolina. Her parents are Dr. James Chow and Jean Chow, and she has a younger brother and sister. 

Asbille can speak and read Mandarin. Her main home is in Los Angeles, but she also lives in New York City. She has been in a relationship with William Moseley, a British actor, since 2012.

She loves wearing vintage dresses, enjoys playing with roles of varying ethnicities, and her preferred superpower is reading minds. The actress also wished she could’ve worked with the famous James Bond actor Sean Connery. 

Asbille attended Columbia University, majoring in Human Rights. She also attended Hammond School in Columbia, where she became part of the Hammond Select Ensemble. 

Apart from her role as Monica in Yellowstone, Asbille is also known for playing roles such as Tracy Stewart in Teen Wolf (2011-2017) and Mikayla in Pair of Kings (2011-2013). Before Monica, the only Native American character that Asbille portrayed was Natalie from the 2017 movie Wind River a film by the man behind Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan. 

A Glimpse of Asbille’s Acting Career

Asbille developed an interest in the performing arts at a young age. She went to the Hammond School in Columbia, South Carolina. There, she participated in a multitude of dance performances and school plays. 

Not long after that, Asbille moved on to community theater, allowing her to explore her acting talent. She broke into the acting industry at the age of 13. She landed a recurring role in a popular TV series from 2003-2012 called One Tree Hill. 

Landing a role in One Tree Hill was monumental for Asbille. Her positive experience in that show and encouragement from friends and family led her to pursue a career in acting. 

In 2008, Asbille landed a guest role in the 2005-2008 show called The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. She starred in 2010’s Den Brother, 2013 Run, and 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man movie in the following years. By 2016, she also landed a recurring role in the famous drama series Teen Wolf. 

Asbille also appeared in two music videos throughout her career. One was for Bonnie McKee’s 2013 song called “Sleepwalker,” and the other was for “Girls Like Girls,” Hayley Kiyoko’s 2015 single. 

Before Yellowstone, Asbille Never Rode Horses

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Many Yellowstone fans would agree that Asbille looks like a natural in the saddle. However, during an interview on Kelly Clarkson‘s NBC talk show, the actress admitted that she’s “terrible” at it. However, even if that was true, her acting skills surely made up for whatever she lacked regarding horses. 

As to why her horse riding scenes look so well, she answers, “It’s movie magic.” She gave all the credit to the people behind the show, including the editor, stunt double, and the wranglers and horse trainers that supported her when they filmed the show. 

Is Kelsey Asbille of Native American Descent? 

Kelsey Asbille identifies herself as part Cherokee, claiming she is of Native American Descent. According to sources online, Kelsey Asbille’s father came from a Chinese immigrant family, and her mother was from White and Native Americans. 

Asbille started claiming her Cherokee heritage in 2017 when she got cast to play the role of a Native American character. During an interview with the New York Times, she said that even if she didn’t grow up in an indigenous community, playing the role of a Native American was in her blood.

Asbille’s statement led to an investigation by an enrollment specialist for the Eastern Band Cherokee Indians. The investigation revealed that Asbille never got enrolled as part of the community. The specialist didn’t find any documents supporting the actress’s claims of being of Cherokee descent. 

The Controversy Surrounding Asbille Landing the Role of Monica

A controversy erupted when Asbille landed the role of Monica for Yellowstone. It is partly a result of her false heritage claim that upset some members of the Native American community. One of which is Native American actor Adam Beach. 

Beach took to social media and spoke against Asbille’s casting for the role of Monica Dutton in the Yellowstone series. He said the show’s decision to cast Asbille is sending a message to the world that no native actress can lead the show unless their ancestors were Cherokee. He then called Asbile out for claiming Native ancestry without evidence to back it up and being a fraud. 

Another Indigenous actor and President of the SAG-AFTRA National Native Americans Committee, DeLanna Studi, explained why Asbille is getting called out for her role in the show. 

According to Studi, it’s rare to see Native American actors get cast in roles where they can “Just be a human being.” He claims that such casting errors have led to people discussing sensitive issues he believes have been plaguing the acting industry for a while now. 

Studi also says that the people behind Yellowstone can still fix their mistakes and that Native people must be willing to help them do it. 

Is Monica Dutton Related to Chief Rainwater? 

It’s not uncommon to find Some Yellowstone fans who believe Monica is related to Chief Thomas Rainwater. To the best of our knowledge, the two aren’t related. As of now, the show hasn’t provided any information that would indicate them having family relations. 

We do know that Monica and Rainwater’s values and ideas about the future of the Indigenous people in America align with each other. There were also a few instances where Monica helped Rainwater, but she did that out of respect for his position as Chief. 

Eventually, Monica gets caught up with the events in the Yellowstone Ranch. It forces her to shift her focus and concentrate more on protecting her son. 

Will Monica Still be in Season 5 of Yellowstone?

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RELATED: Why Do Fans Think That Monica Will Die in Yellowstone?

Of course, since Yellowstone is a show that doesn’t hesitate to kill off its beloved characters, many fans wonder if Monica will still be in season 5. Well, the answer to that question is yes. In fact, you have plenty to look forward to in season 5 if you are a fan of Monica Dutton. 

During one interview, Asbilee hinted that Monica and Kayce would have a second child, saying Monica would have a cute baby bump. Other than that, some fans believe that Monica’s relationship with Avery might also lead to some drama. 

As for Kayce’s, “I saw the end of us” vision, fans have varying theories about what it truly meant. Some believe the vision is about his marriage, while others think it’s about the end of the entire Yellowstone Ranch. 

Although there were some controversies with her casting, Kelsey Asbille did a wonderful job playing Monica Dutton in Yellowstone. It just goes to show how great an actress she is and how the people behind the show, Sheridan in particular, are such geniuses in picking their cast.