The family of the Menendez brothers, central figures in Ryan Murphy’s true crime drama, has voiced strong opposition to the series, claiming it is “riddled with mistruths.” In a statement from 24 family members, they describe the show, *Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story*, as a “grotesque shock-drama” and expressed their disappointment that neither Murphy nor co-creator Ian Brennan reached out to them during its production.
Shared via social media, the family’s statement criticized the drama as “a phobic, gross, anachronistic serial episode nightmare, filled with mistruths and outright falsehoods,” while also neglecting important recent exculpatory revelations. Despite this backlash, the series has quickly risen to become Netflix’s top TV program.
Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, citing extreme physical and sexual abuse by their father as the motive behind their actions. Now incarcerated, their story continues to stir controversy since the premiere of the series.
Tammi Menendez, Erik’s wife, released the family’s statement and shared Erik’s perspective, describing the portrayal in the show as “dishonest” and full of “horrible and blatant lies.” In response, Ryan Murphy commented earlier this week, “It’s interesting that he’s issued a statement without having seen the show. It’s really, really hard, if it’s your life, to see your life onscreen.”
The series has faced criticism for its depiction of alleged sexual abuse within the Menendez household, including implications of an incestuous relationship between the brothers, a notion that journalist Robert Rand, who covered the trial and authored *The Menendez Murders*, has characterized as “a fantasy.”
Murphy defended the content of the series, stating it encapsulates “the points of view and theories from many people involved in the case,” noting that the creators worked closely with reporter Dominick Dunne during the show’s development.
In their recent statement, the Menendez family labeled Dunne as “debunked” and accused him of “slander.” In an additional twist to the narrative, Netflix announced a new documentary titled *The Menendez Brothers*, set for release on October 7, which promises “extensive audio interviews” with individuals connected to the trial, including Lyle and Erik.
*Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story*, featuring actors Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny, attracted over 12 million views during its opening weekend, making it the top show on Netflix, although it did not surpass the viewership of the previous *Dahmer* series. Critics have largely responded unfavorably; Jesse Hassinger from The Guardian called it “exhausting” and “repetitive,” while Aramide Tinubu from Variety opined that the series has “no idea what it wants to be.”
Looking ahead, a new season has already been confirmed, focusing on notorious killer Ed Gein, with Charlie Hunnam in the lead role. Gein is often cited as inspiration for iconic characters like Norman Bates and Leatherface.
