Since its release, the new Netflix series, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” has received backlash on Ryan Murphy’s end. The show debuted on September 19, taking a look at one of the notorious murders of the early 90s.
Since the show’s premiere, it has received tons of criticism for portraying the brothers in a way that suggests a possible romance between them.
The “Menendez Brothers,” are the brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were convicted in the 1989 murder of their parents Jose and Marie Louise “Kitty” Menendez, around 1996.
Jose Menendez was an entertainment executive, working with many bands such as Menudo and Duran Duran. Mr. Menendez was the primary contributor to the brothers’ upbringing in Beverly Hills.
On the night of the murder, August 20, 1989, Lyle Menendez called 911 reporting that his parents had been shot and killed. Both brothers claimed that they were at the movies at the time of the murder, and had come home to get one of the brother’s licenses.
After accusations about the crime were released, and rumors on how the mafia were involved in the crime Erik had later told his therapist, L. Jerome. Oziel, that they were the ones involved.
Dr. Ozeil had thought of taping their sessions, to get a confession that the two brothers had committed the murders. He had left these tapes in the hands of his mistress, only for her to later take the tapes to the police As a result, in March of 1990, the boys were arrested and charged with the murder of their parents.
During the trials, all of America had watched and listened to the brothers explaining that they killed their parents out of fear for their lives after being sexually and physically abused by their father and mother. The nine-episode show jumps through time depicting the murder, trial, and aftermath through multiple perspectives, from the eyes of characters Lyle and Erik Menendez, to the defense Attorney Leslie Abramson, and the eyes of many others who had witnessed the experience.
Regarding the controversy, the viewers objected to the idea that the brothers were set as being romantically involved with one another. In a viral post, an X user had written, “If Ryan wanted to make a show about twin brothers developing an intimate relationship with each other due to shared sexual trauma and parental abuse, then he should’ve written a new story. You don’t get to rewrite the experience of real people and REAL VICTIMS to suit yourself!”
Additionally, Robert Rand, who had covered and written a book about the trials, The Menendez Murders. Rand had said to The Hollywood Reporter that. “I don’t believe that Erik and Lyle Menéndez were ever lovers.”
Even with many people testifying that Murphy’s depiction of the show is inaccurate, the same day the show was released, Tammi Menendez, Erik’s wife, shared a statement from her husband. On X, Erik stated that the show expresses a “dishonest portrayal” of the brothers. Furthermore, Erik said, “I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show,” the statement reads. “I can only believe they were done so on purpose. 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 to do this without bad intent.’”
This had riled Murphy to respond to the Menendez brothers, and any other viewers out there, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. When asked if he had felt that he had accomplished what he wanted to do, Murphy replied, “Yes, 100 percent,” saying that if anything, the brothers should be grateful and send him flowers.