Netflix is no stranger to controversy. But this time it’s the Menendez family that’s bringing the heat. Ryan Murphy‘s latest true-crime saga, ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story‘, has set off alarms for the family of Erik and Lyle Menendez.
The series, which chronicles the 1989 murders of their parents and the infamous trial that followed, has been slammed by the brothers’ extended family. According to them, the show is far from factual.
Menendez Family Accuses Ryan Murphy Of Distorting the Truth
In a scathing statement as per Tribune, 24 members of the Menendez family expressed their outrage, saying they were “victimized” by the Netflix show ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story‘. According to them, Murphy has turned the Menendez brothers’ tragic lives into a piece of shock-driven entertainment.
“Ryan Murphy’s ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ is a phobic, gross, anachronistic, serial episodic nightmare that is not only riddled with mistruths and outright falsehoods but ignores the most recent exculpatory revelations. Our family has been victimized by this grotesque shockadramara,” the family said.
Related: Ryan Murphy Explains Why ‘Monsters’ Hints At A Romantic Relationship Between The Menendez Brothers
The family blasted Murphy for relying on “debunked Dominick Dunne, the pro-prosecution hack, to justify his slander against us and never spoke to us.” They claim Murphy never even bothered to reach out to the people who know the brothers best.
“We also know what went on in their home and the unimaginably turbulent lives they have endured. Several of us were eyewitnesses to many atrocities one should never have to bear witness to,” they added.
Menendez Family’s Personal And Emotional Plea
The Menendez family’s statement is not just about slamming Murphy’s research skills, it’s also deeply personal. “We are virtually the entire extended family of Erik and Lyle Menendez. We know them, love them, and want them home with us,” the family wrote. That’s 24 people standing behind the brothers, making it crystal clear they believe Erik and Lyle deserve to be free after 35 years behind bars.
The family also didn’t hold back on accusing Murphy and Netflix of character assassination, claiming that ‘Monsters‘ painted an unflattering, inaccurate portrait of the brothers. “The character assassination of Erik and Lyle, who are our nephews and cousins, under the guise of a ‘storytelling narrative’ is repulsive,” they wrote.
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“We know these men. We grew up with them since they were boys. We love them and to this very day we are close to them.” In one final, brutal swipe, the family concluded their statement with a sharp critique of Murphy’s understanding of the Menendez brothers’ traumatic childhood.
“It is sad that Ryan Murphy, Netflix, and all others involved in this series, do not have an understanding of the impact of years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Perhaps, after all, ‘Monsters’ is all about Ryan Murphy,” the statement read.
