Fans Express Anger Over New TV Show ‘Monsters’

Menendez Brothers Given New Chance For Freedom

Francesca Hall, Staff Reporter • November 18, 2024

This is a photo of the seemingly happy Menendez family. What you can’t see by this photo is the secrets this family held and what led to the parent’s demise.

Erik and Lyle Menendez brutally shot and killed their parents, José and Mary Louise ‘Kitty’ Menendez, on August 20, 1989, in their Beverly Hills home after enduring years of sexual abuse from their father, which their mother had condoned. The brothers were brought to trial and found guilty of murder in 1996. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. This verdict upset many people who believed the Menendez brothers had every right to do what they did.

This is a photo of the Menendez family’s living room after Erik and Lyle shot and killed Kitty and José. They were shot 13 times.

The upsetting Menendez brothers’ case has gained a lot of popularity over time. Forbes even referred to the brothers as two of America’s top celebrity felons in one of their recent articles. The reason for this is because of the gut-wrenching story behind their crime. Both brothers claim to have been sexually assaulted by their father, while their mother was fully aware of the situation. Lyle claimed his abuse started when he was 6 but stopped when he was 8 years old. When he discovered that Erik’s abuse was still ongoing by the time he turned 18, he decided something had to be done. They shot their parents up close 13 times. Many Americans sympathize with them and have wanted the brothers released for years, but only now, as a result of the case being in the spotlight again, is that a real possibility.

This is one of the many social media posts asking to free the Menendez brothers. Many people believe they had every right to do what they did and should not be locked up for freeing themselves of their fathers abuse.

One reason the spotlight is on Erik and Lyle yet again is because on September 19, 2024, Netflix released an adaptation of the Menendez brothers’ story called Monsters. This show, which was created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan due to the case’s popularity on social media, has received a lot of backlash. Many people are saying that the adaptation was inaccurate and offensive to the brothers. Some people say that the creators made the brothers seem “too close” with many suggestive scenes, such as one of them kissing. Both Erik and Lyle have denied that they had a sexual relationship, and there is no real evidence suggesting they did.

This is the poster for the TV show ‘Monsters’ which depicts the Menendez brothers’ crimes. The show was created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.

Fans aren’t the only ones who have shown their anger for this adaptation, Erik spoke out about the show, expressing his dislike and disgust towards it. According to the BBC, he 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.” He also went on to say that he is disgusted by how they were made to seem incestuous. He claimed that Murphy could not have been this ignorant and must have done this purposely. Murphy responded to Erik’s statement with one of his own. “There were four people involved [in the case],” he told Entertainment Tonight. “Two of them are dead. What about the parents? We had an obligation as storytellers to also try and put in their perspective based on our research, which we did” (US Weekly). Many people are not very happy with this answer and believe that the show was inappropriate and insensitive.

This growing attention, along with new evidence surrounding the case, led the District Attorney to suggest a resentencing. This will consist of the brothers getting life with parole, and they will be eligible for parole immediately. The brothers requested a new hearing in May of 2023 after evidence surfaced suggesting their father had molested singer Roy Rosselló of the boy band Menudo. Another piece of evidence was a letter found that was written by Erik in 1988. The letter details how he and Lyle received countless abuse from their father. When the case first went to trial, there was not sufficient evidence to back up their abuse claims, but now that this letter was discovered, they may have a real chance of being released on parole.

Within the next month, the Menendez brothers will have their retrial, and it will be decided whether or not they will be released. However, for now, this is the only information that the public has on this case.

Works Cited:

Grebenyuk, Y. (2024, October 4). Monsters Cast’s Comments About Menendez Inaccuracies, Incest Backlash. Us Weekly. Retrieved October 29, 2024, from https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/monsters-casts-comments-about-menendez-inaccuracies-incest-backlash/
Monsters – The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story: Netflix show sparks controversy. (2024, September 27). BBC. Retrieved October 29, 2024, from https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20mzd788n3o
Why the Menendez Brothers Killed Their Parents. (2024, October 24). Biography (Bio.). Retrieved October 29, 2024, from https://www.biography.com/crime/menendez-brothers-murder-case-facts

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About the Contributor

Francesca Hall, Staff Reporter

Hi! My name is Francesca Hall, and I am in my freshman year at Elmwood Park High School. Outside of school I enjoy reading, baking, and playing basketball. I want to be a lawyer, and my goal is to study pre-law and The University of Michigan and then attend law school at Harvard.