Erik Menendez criticizes Netflix's Monsters, claims "dishonest" portrayal of parents' murder

Erik Menendez has publicly criticized the Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, claiming that the show portrays him and his brother Lyle in a "dishonest" light. The series, which was released yesterday, dramatizes the 1989 murder of José and Mary Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home.

Both Erik and Lyle were convicted of murdering their parents and have been in prison since 1996. In a statement shared on social media, Erik’s wife, Tammi Menendez, posted a message allegedly written by Erik himself. In the message, he condemned the Netflix series for its inaccurate depiction of the events that led to the murder of their parents.

Erik described the show as being filled with "blatant lies" and expressed disappointment with how their story was told.

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Erik Menendez expresses discontent with the show

The Netflix drama series is based on the Menendez brothers who stated that they murdered their parents after suffering years of abuse. The prosecution at the time alleged that the motive for the murders was to inherit their parent's wealthy estate.

Erik’s statement, shared on his wife’s X and TikTok accounts, called the portrayal of his brother Lyle a "caricature" rooted in "horrible and blatant lies." He expressed disbelief that Ryan Murphy, the show's creator, could produce such an inaccurate representation of their lives and accused Murphy of having bad intent. He complained that the show is nurturing the negative perception of male child s*xual abuse survivors.

Erik Menendez accused Murphy of shaping a "horrible narrative" filled with "vile and appalling character portrayals" of him and his brother. He emphasized the harm such misrepresentations cause to victims of abuse, particularly male survivors who have long faced stigma and disbelief.

"It is sad for me to know that Netflix's dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward-- back through time to an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women," Erik Menendez implored.

He also voiced how false narratives could have a detrimental effect on the survivors who are seeking justice for childhood trauma, saying the series is regressive to the victims who have bravely come out to speak out about their experience.

Menendez brothers were arrested in March 1990 for fatally shooting their parents on August 20, 1989, in their Beverly Hills residence. Their trial which was aired live on Court TV turned into a media circus, with the prosecution presenting the brothers as stone-hearted killers who killed for the sake of the money.

The defense on the other hand maintained that the brothers were subjected to different forms of abuse by their father. The sibling duo committed the murders as they feared for their lives. Still, Lyle and Erik were convicted of first-degree murder by the court. The two were sentenced to life imprisonment without any chance of parole.

Erik Menendez concluded his statement by thanking those who have supported him and his brother.

He wrote, "To all those who have reached out and supported me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

The showmakers are yet to respond to Erik Menendez’s statement. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is currently available on Netflix.