Menendez Brother Breaks Silence on ‘Dishonest Portrayal’ in Netflix Series
Erik Menendez is breaking his silence after the Menendez brothers‘ shocking tale of murder, wealth and buried family secrets hit Netflix last Thursday, and slamming the creator for the portrayal of both him and his brother Lyle.
Created by Ryan Murphy, Netflix unveiled the next chapter of its Monster anthology series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Erik Menendez expressed sadness over Netflix’s “dishonest portrayal” of the tragedies surrounding the brothers’ crime.
“I can only believe they were done 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, so as to do this without bad intent,” Erik Menendez wrote, as shared by his family via X and Facebook. “Murphy shapes his horrible narrative through vile and appalling character portrayals of Lyle and me, and disheartening slander.”
Lyle Menendez, who was then 21, and Erik Menendez, then 18, admitted they shot-gunned their entertainment executive father and their mother, but said they feared their parents were about to kill them to prevent the disclosure of the father’s long-term sexual molestation of Erik.
Lyle Menendez, left confers with brother Erik during a court appearance, April 2, 1991 in Beverly Hills, California. Lawyers for the brothers won another delay of a preliminary hearing while they seek a state Supreme Court opinion on whether an alleged murder confession is protected by doctor-patient privilege.
Kevork Djansezian/AP Photo
The brothers shot their father, José Menendez, and their mother, Kitty Menendez, a total of 14 times, reloading the gun during the attack in their Beverly Hills home.
Prosecutors argued there was no evidence of molestation because the judge excluded abuse evidence from the second trial in 1995. They claimed the sons were motivated by a desire to inherit their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate, which was not the case.
Erik’s wife, Tammi Menendez, also criticized the new series on X, claiming it missed the mark on the facts.
“The Menendez drama on Netflix is a complete train wreck! The portrayal of the events is so exaggerated and untrue, it feels more like a dark soap opera than a drama,” Tammi said. “It was an insane perversion of the truth and a complete and tragic misrepresentation of Erik and Lyle!”
The Netflix series spotlights allegations of incest between the brothers, depicting a scene where a drug-fueled Lyle kisses Erik after they inherit their parents’ fortune.
In the following episodes, it’s suggested Lyle was first sexually abused by their father, José Menendez, and then, as a result of the abuse, Lyle began assaulting Erik in the same way—implying Erik suffered abuse from both his father and brother.
“Let the truth stand as the truth,” Erik Menendez said. “How demoralizing to know that one man with power can undermine decades of progress in shedding light on childhood trauma.”
Erik Menendez said the representation marks a step backward to a time when the prosecution relied on the belief males weren’t sexually abused and they experience rape trauma differently than women.
Murphy’s true-crime drama series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, is currently available for streaming.
The series features an impressive cast, with Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny starring as parents Jose and Kitty Menendez, while newcomers Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch take on the roles of Lyle and Erik Menendez.
Boys Are Also Vulnerable to Abuse
Deborah Tuerkheimer, a former Manhattan prosecutor and author of Credible, told Newsweek boys who are victims of sexual abuse and assault face additional challenges because such cases are less common and often less acknowledged, with these difficulties being even greater decades ago.
“When victims don’t behave or look like we expect them to behave or look, we tend to find them not credible and boys don’t really fit into the popular understanding of who’s a victim of abuse,” the author said.
From left to right: Jose Menendez, Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez
IMDb
Jennifer Simmons Kaleba, Vice President of Communications of RAINN told Newsweek not being believed from the beginning can be one of the most damaging experiences for a survivor. The level of belief they receive shapes their entire journey, impacting their chances of achieving legal justice.
Erik Menendez ended his message emphasizing violence is never a solution, stating it ultimately leads to tragedy.
“I hope it is never forgotten that violence against a child creates a hundred horrendous and silent crime scenes darkly shadowed behind glitter and glamor and rarely exposed until tragedy penetrates everyone involved.”
Newsweek reached out to Ryan Murphy’s team, however, they have not yet responded.
From left to right: Lyle Menendez, Jose Menendez, Kitty Menendez and Erik Menendez
IMDb
New Documentary Exploring the Menendez Case
Another portrayal is set to debut on Netflix next month, featuring real-life accounts from Erik and Lyle Menendez.
The Menendez Brothers, directed by Alejandro Hartmann, examines decades of material related to the crime and the subsequent trial.
“What emerges may not answer the many questions that still surround the case, but it does offer another perspective — that of the brothers themselves, provided in all-new audio interviews,” Netflix website reads.
The Menendez Brothers premieres on Netflix on October 7.
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