Ryan Murphy, the creator of the Netflix true crime drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story, has addressed criticism from Erik Menéndez regarding the show’s portrayal of him and his brother Lyle. The controversy erupted following Erik Menéndez’s public comments on September 20, where he expressed disappointment that the series failed to accurately depict the trauma and violence the brothers endured during their childhood.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Murphy indicated he has “many things to say” about Erik’s statements, pointing out that Erik has issued his critique without viewing the show. “I think it’s interesting that Erik issued a statement without having seen the show. I know he hasn’t seen the show in prison. I hope he does see it. I think he sees the work that Cooper Koch, who plays him, did,” Murphy stated.
The Emmy-winning writer acknowledged the emotional difficulty of having one’s life dramatized on screen. He emphasized that a significant portion of the series, approximately 60 to 65 percent, centers on the abuse that the brothers claim to have suffered, elaborating, “We do it very carefully, and we give them their day in court, and they talk openly about it; we present the facts from their point of view.”
Murphy revealed that the creative team invested three years researching the Menéndez brothers’ story, highlighting the complexity of portraying sensitive topics like sexual abuse. In 1989, Erik and Lyle were convicted of murdering their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menéndez, claiming self-defense after years of alleged abuse.
The brothers received life sentences without the possibility of parole. While the series has sparked debate regarding its representation of the siblings, Murphy described the storytelling approach as akin to Rashomon, which presents multiple perspectives. “There were four people involved in that. Two of them are dead and two of them are alive,” he explained. “But what about the parents? We had an obligation as storytellers to also try to include their perspective, based on our research, which we did.”
In his critique, Erik Menéndez lamented the show’s representation of him and Lyle, asserting, “I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show.” He expressed skepticism regarding Murphy’s intentions, stating, “It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime has taken the painful truths several steps backward.”
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