After the release of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the real-life Erik Menendez has released a statement from prison, admonishing Netflix and Ryan Murphy for their “dishonest” portrayal of events.
The true crime show, of which The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is the second season, examines the shocking real-life case of the Menendez brothers, who murdered their parents in cold blood on August 20, 1989.
The Netflix series explores the most controversial elements from the case, including the brothers’ alleged sexual abuse at the hands of their father, José Menendez, and conversations with the brothers’ psychologist, Jerome Oziel, being used as evidence.
As is par for the course with Murphy’s true crime projects, the story is told in an over-the-top and opulent style and has even led to criticisms of the show’s incestuous subplot. Now, the real-life Erik Menendez has come forward to accuse Murphy of “bad intent.”
Erik Menendez’s statement
Erik’s statement was released via his current wife Tammi’s X account on September 20, 2024.
In it, he wrote: “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. I can only believe they were done so on purpose.
Erik's response to the Netflix's series.#NetflixMonsters #Netflix #RyanMurphy pic.twitter.com/Xz1waxA2u3
— Tammi Menendez (@TammiMenendez1) September 20, 2024
“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 went on to acknowledge Netflix’s role in the matter, saying: “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 – back through time 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.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
“Those awful lies have been disputed and exposed by countless brave victims over the last two decades who have broken through their personal shame and bravely spoken out.
“So now Murphy shapes his horrible narrative through vile and appalling character portrayals of Lyle and of me and disheartening slander.”
He continued: “Is the truth not enough? Let the truth stand as the truth. How demoralizing to know that one man with power can undermine decades of progress in shedding light on childhood trauma. Violence is never an answer, never a solution, and is always tragic.
“As such, I hope it is never forgotten that violence against a child creates a hundred horrendous and silent crime scenes darkly shadowed behind glitter and glamour and rarely exposed until tragedy penetrates everyone involved. To all those who have reached out and supported me, thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Erik Menendez is currently serving his life sentence with his brother Lyle at the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. The two were found guilty in December 1992.
To learn more about the show and the real-life case, take a look at our Monsters finale explained. You can also find out how much José Menendez was worth, and learn the truth behind the Monsters’ toupee.