Monsters creator Ryan Murphy addresses Erik Menendez criticism of ‘dishonest’ Netflix series
The director of the new hit Neflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Story has responded to claims from one of the brothers that the show is 'dishonest'.
Ryan Murphy, the creator behind the series that brought us Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story two years ago, has addressed criticism he received from Erik Menendez - one of the two brothers the show revolves around.
The true crime series focused on Erik and Lyle Menendez who were convicted of murdering 45-year-old José, and his 47-year-old wife Kitty Menendez, their mom and dad, while at their family home in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, back in 1989.
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On Friday (September 20), 53-year-old Erik, who is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole, released a statement about the series via his wife Tammi Saccoman - who he married in the waiting room at Folsom State Prison back in 1999.
It read in part: "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.
"I can only believe they were done so on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent.
"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."
Now, Murphy has bitten back as he spoke to Entertainment Tonight.
The Hollywood director said: "I think it’s interesting that he’s issued a statement without having seen the show. I know he hasn’t seen it in prison — I hope he does.
"I would say 60 to 65 percent of our show centers around the abuse and what they claim happened to them."
When speaking of the incest scene depicting the Menendez brothers making out, he added: “What the show is doing is presenting the points of view and theories from so many people who were involved in the case […] The show presents over 10 points of view of different events.
"So when people see that, that is somebody in our show having a narrative statement about ‘this is what I believe really happened’, and we had an obligation to show all of that.”
Both Menendez brothers are serving life behind bars for their wicked crimes, after they stormed into the living room where their mom and dad were watching TV and unloaded more than a dozens shotgun rounds into them.
During their trial they claimed that they the reason they did it was due to them being subject to years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents.
However, prosecutors alleged that their motive was money related - with their dad having an estate worth around $14.5 million, according to Forbes.
Topics: Netflix, Ryan Murphy, True crime, Menendez Brothers
Joe Yates