Erik Menendez speaks out against Netflix for ‘dishonest’ Monsters series
Erik Menendez, who is serving life in prison for murdering his parents, has slammed the streaming giant for its take on his life
Netflix's new series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has outraged the man who is currently serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering his parents.
The second season of the hit TV series that brought us Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story two years ago focuses on the brother Lyle and Erik Menedez brothers who were convicted of murdering their mom and dad while at their family home in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, back in 1989.
While they were watching television, 45-year-old José, and his 47-year-old wife Kitty Menendez were brutally murdered by their shotgun-wielding sons.
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Now, having been made aware of the true crime series, directed by Ryan Murphy, Erik has released a statement 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."
It continued to claim that the show supports a 'narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused', as the pair claimed they were subject to years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents.
However, during their trial prosecutors alleged that they murdered their parents for money, according to Forbes.
His statement continued: "So now Murphy shapes his horrible narrative through vile and appalling character portrayals of Lyle and of me and disheartening slander.
"Is the truth not enough? Let the truth stand as the truth. How demoralizing to know that one man with power can undermine decades of progress in shedding light on childhood trauma.
"Violence is never an answer, never a solution, and is always tragic."
Erik went on to claim that he and his brother were abused by their parents again, as he wrote that 'violence against a child creates a hundred horrendous and silent crime scenes'.
The now 53-year-old, who alongside his brother murdered his parents after unloading around 15 rounds of bullets into them with shotguns, thanked those who had written to him.
LADbible Group contacted Netflix for comment.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org
Topics: Crime, Los Angeles, Netflix, Ryan Murphy, Menendez Brothers
Joe Yates