Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón has said his office will review the case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, convicted of murder for killing their parents in 1989, two weeks after Netflix released the controversial Ryan Murphy series “Monsters” that has been slammed for its inclusion of an incestuous storyline and called a “blatant lie” by the real-life brothers.
Gascón on Thursday said his office is evaluating whether or not the brothers, who claimed they killed their parents out of fear for their lives following years of sexual abuse, should remain in prison for the rest of their lives and said he has a “moral and ethical obligation to review what is being presented.”
The review comes after Netflix’s dramatic series based on the murders drew more than 50% more viewers in its second week amid criticism from one brother and a boast from creator Ryan Murphy the show is “best thing to happen to the Menendez brothers in 30 years.”
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” was the most-watched series on Netflix for the second week in a row with 153.8 million hours viewed from Sept. 23 to Sept. 29, a 57% increase from the 97.5 million hours it was watched in its debut week.
The second season of the anthology series “Monster” from Ryan Murphy focuses on the murders of José and Kitty Menendez, who were killed by their then 18- and 21-year old sons Erik and Lyle, though the two men have slammed the show as a “blatant lie” amid its portrayal of sexual abuse trauma and the suggestion they had an incestuous relationship.
On Sept. 19, the day of the show’s premiere, Erik Menendez shared a statement to X through his wife Tammi’s account that accused Murphy of “bad intent,” slammed the show as a step backward in accurately portraying male sexual abuse, and said it included “vile and appalling character portrayals of Lile and of me.”
The more controversial depictions in the show, like the incest implication and scenes showing Lyle using cocaine, are largely based on the far-flung theories of the late Vanity Fair journalist Dominick Dunne, with no real evidence behind them.
Murphy said he found Erik Menendez’s commentary “interesting because I know he hasn’t watched the show” and said he stands by how “Monsters” portrayed the story, later slamming the Menendez brothers for claiming “lies after lies” without specific criticisms and then labeled the show “the best thing to happen to the Menendez brothers in 30 years.”
On Tuesday, The Hollywood Reporter published an article with interviews from the show’s main actors—including Cooper Koch, who played Erik, and Nicholas Alexander Chavez, who plays Lyle—who expressed sympathy for the Menendez brothers but also agreed with Murphy that press from the show stands to benefit, more than harm, the family.
Most of the controversy surrounding “Monsters” focuses on the implication the Menendez brothers had a sexual relationship. In the show, Erik and Lyle share a kiss in the second episode and their mother finds them showering together in episode six. Both have vehemently denied a sexual relationship, and Murphy has said “there are people who say that never happened, there were people who said it did happen.” Robert Rand, an expert on the case, told the Hollywood Reporter he doesn’t think the pair were “ever lovers” and said any inappropriate contact between the two would not have been a real relationship, but a “response to trauma.”
José and Kitty Menendez were shot six and 10 times, respectively, in their home in August of 1989. Initially, Erik and Lyle told police they’d been out of the house when the murders occurred, but Erik later confessed the killing to his psychologist, whose mistress told police about the brother’s involvement. The Menendez trial was a huge news event, and while the brothers never denied killing their parents, they claimed they shot them out of fear for their lives after a lifetime of sexual abuse at the hands of their father. They said their mother, who they accused of being an alcoholic and drug addict, enabled her husband’s behavior and was also physically abusive. The defense presented pornographic images of the boys taken by their father, and two people testified in support of the abuse claims. One prosecutor claimed “men could not be raped.” The first trial ended with deadlocked juries and a second trial, which focused much less on the abuse claims, ended in the conviction of both brothers on two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder. They were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole and remain in prison.
In addition to the new investigation from the Los Angeles District Attorney, Lyle and Erik, now 56 and 53, are awaiting a habeas corpus petition filed last year that asked for a new evidentiary hearing or for the Menendez brothers’ convictions to be vacated. Last year, new evidence emerged in the case when Roy Rosselló said he, too, had been raped by José Mendenez, and the brothers’ defense team discovered a letter written by Erik to his cousin in 1988 opening up about his father’s abuse.
“Monsters” was the No. 1 most-watched show on Netflix last week. “Nobody Wants This,” a romantic comedy series starring Kristen Bell and Seth Cohen, was in second place with 45.7 million hours viewed, less than a third of “Monsters” in the same week. “The Perfect Couple” was in third place (30.7 million hours viewed), followed by “Mr. McMahom” (28.2 million) and the fourth season of “Emily In Paris” (25.1 million views). The much-anticipated comedy special of Ellen DeGeneres, called “For Your Approval,” was the ninth most-watched show in its debut week.
News
Elon Musk’s daughter declares she “wants to have a familial relationship” with her father
Musk’s transgender daughter filed the legal docs one day after turning 18. Elon Musk’s transgender daughter has filed legal documents in court to change her name and gender while also pursuing a new birth certificate. According to legal documents obtained by…
Unpacking Elon Musk’s turbulent dating history and the 12 children he has fathered
Two marriages, 12 kids and several high-profile romances (see: Amber Heard, Grimes), Elon Musk is indeed, as he said in a 2023 eponymous biography, “just a fool for love.” Turns out Elon Musk‘s months-long romance with Amber Heard cut deep. Smitten from the moment he saw the…
Elon Musk shares very rare picture of four-year-old son for special reason
Elon is dad to 11 children May 4 has been a day of celebration for Elon Musk, as his seventh child – son X – has turned four. “Lil X turns 4 today on May 4th,” Elon shared with followers on his…
Elon Musk creates the world’s most exclusive school: Buys a mansion to house 20 students
California school is named Ad Astra, which is Latin for ‘to the stars’ It is shrouded in secrecy, with no known websites or social media accounts Billionaire has five sons, nine year-old twins, and seven year-old triplets School doesn’t provide…
Inside Elon Musk’s luxurious $9.5 million and $30 million homes in Bel-Air
Elon Musk may only be the 23rd richest person in the world, but when it comes to real estate, he has top-ten billionaire taste. The Tesla founder recently took to Twitter to announce he’d be selling all his property (a move girlfriend Grimes…
Grimes reveals she and Elon Musk once lived in a ‘$40,000 house and ‘ate peanut butter for eight days straight’ after Tesla CEO sold his house
Grimes has revealed she and Musk, 50, lived in a ‘very insecure $40,000 home’ The 33-year-old singer told Vanity Fair he ‘doesn’t live a billionaire’s lifestyle’ Comes after the Tesla CEO, who is worth an estimated $228.7 billion, vowed to…
End of content
No more pages to load