After the debut of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the real Erik Menendez has issued a statement from prison, criticizing Netflix and Ryan Murphy for their “dishonest” representation of the events surrounding his life.
This true crime series is the second season of the show that delves into the notorious case of the Menendez brothers, who infamously murdered their parents in cold blood on August 20, 1989.
Netflix’s series addresses some of the most controversial aspects of the case, including allegations of sexual abuse inflicted on the brothers by their father, José Menendez, and the use of their psychologist’s conversations as evidence.
In typical fashion for Murphy’s true crime adaptations, the narrative is presented in a flamboyant and extravagant manner, drawing criticism for portraying a subplot involving incest. Now, Erik Menendez has stepped forward to accuse Murphy of having “bad intent.”
Erik Menendez’s Statement
Erik’s statement was shared via his wife’s X account on September 20, 2024.
In his statement, he expressed: “I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals concerning Lyle, which present a caricature of him based on horrendous and blatant lies prevalent in the show. I can only conclude these choices were made intentionally.
Erik’s response to the Netflix series.#NetflixMonsters #Netflix #RyanMurphy pic.twitter.com/Xz1waxA2u3
— Tammi Menendez (@TammiMenendez1) September 20, 2024
“It is with a heavy heart that I state I believe Ryan Murphy cannot genuinely be this naive and inaccurate regarding the facts of our lives to present them this way without ulterior motives.”
He further criticized Netflix, stating: “It saddens me to realize that Netflix’s dishonest representation of the tragedies associated with our crime has regressed the painful truths, revisiting an era where the prosecution built a narrative denying male sexual abuse and claiming that men experience rape trauma differently than women.
“These horrific lies have been challenged and revealed by numerous courageous victims over the past two decades who have overcome their personal shame to speak out bravely.
Erik and Lyle Menendez are depicted by Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez in the Netflix series
“Now, Murphy fabricates his dreadful narrative through offensive and outrageous characterizations of Lyle and me, leading to troubling slander.”
He continued, “Is the truth not sufficient? Let the truth be recognized as the truth. How disheartening to know that a powerful individual can undermine decades of progress in bringing awareness to childhood trauma. Violence is never a solution, and it is always tragic.
“We must remember that violence against a child creates countless horrific and silent crime scenes, overshadowed by glamour and rarely uncovered until tragedy touches everyone involved. To all who have reached out and shown support, I thank you from the depths of my heart.”
Erik Menendez is currently serving a life sentence alongside his brother Lyle at the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. The brothers were convicted in December 1992.
For more information about the show and the actual case, check out our Monsters finale explained. You can also discover the worth of José Menendez and uncover the truth behind the infamous Monsters’ toupee.
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