Erik Menendez is speaking out against Netflix and producer Ryan Murphy for the portrayal of himself and his brother Lyle Menendez in the series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” Erik slammed the platform for its “dishonest portrayal” of their stories. In 1989, the Menendez brothers went to prison on account of killing their parents in 1989. The sibling duo claimed abuse from their parents, which led to them murdering in self-defense.
Erik Menendez says Monsters features ‘blatant lies’
On Thursday, September 19, Erik Menendez released an attention-grabbing statement. He called out Netflix and producer Ryan Murphy for the brothers’ portrayal in “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” Furthermore, Erik’s wife Tammi shared the statement on X, which grabbed significant attention. Meanwhile, the Netflix series premiered the same day, showcasing Erik & Lyle Menendez’s story.
Erik called out “a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies,” and felt they were done on purpose. Speaking out against producer Ryan Murphy, he said, “It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent.” He then further blamed Netflix for its “dishonest portrayal” of their story.
The Menendez brother said, “It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward.” He referenced this to “an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women.”
Erik added that many brave victims have exposed these lies by speaking out and “breaking through their personal shame.” Continuing to slam Ryan Murphy, he said, “Murphy shapes his horrible narrative through vile and appalling character portrayals of Lyle and of me and disheartening slander.” Erik Menendez also asked for the truth to prevail. He further detailed how violence against a child creates darker consequences until it’s too late. Erik his statement by thanking everyone for their support.
The Menendez brothers’ trial had taken the country by storm during its proceedings. The two claimed that they killed their father Jose and mother Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez after suffering their abuse for years together. Ultimately, the court convicted the brothers of two counts of first-degree murder on March 21, 1996.
The synopsis of the Netflix series reads: “They looked like a perfect family, but secrets hid behind closed doors. This true-crime drama delves into one of California’s most infamous murder cases.”
Viewers can stream all nine episodes of the series on Netflix.
