• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Erik Menendez speaks out against Netflix for ‘dishonest’ Monsters series

Home> News> Crime> True Crime

Updated 16:35 23 Sep 2024 GMT+1Published 13:11 23 Sep 2024 GMT+1

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

Joe Yates

Joe Yates

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.

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.

Advert

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.

Erik slammed the show (Miles Crist/Netflix)
Erik slammed the show (Miles Crist/Netflix)

"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."

Advert

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.

Erik and Lyle Menendez during their pre-trial hearing in 1992 after the two pleaded innocent in the August 1989 shotgun murders of their wealthy parents (VINCE BUCCI/AFP via Getty Images)
Erik and Lyle Menendez during their pre-trial hearing in 1992 after the two pleaded innocent in the August 1989 shotgun murders of their wealthy parents (VINCE BUCCI/AFP via Getty Images)

Advert

"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.

Advert

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

Featured Image Credit: Ted Soqui/Sygma via Getty Images/Netflix

Topics: Crime, Los Angeles, Netflix, Ryan Murphy, Menendez Brothers

Joe Yates
Joe Yates

Joe is a journalist for UNILAD, who particularly enjoys writing about crime. He has worked in journalism for five years, and has covered everything from murder trials to celeb news.

X

@JMYjourno

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • 7 things in Netflix's 'Monster' series that never actually happened in real life
  • Why Erik Menendez was denied parole as judge urges him not to have a 'pity party'
  • Extreme lengths actor Charlie Hunnam took to get inside Ed Gein's mind for new Netflix series 'Monster'
  • Monsters creator Ryan Murphy brazenly says the Menendez brothers should be 'sending him flowers'

Choose your content:

a minute ago
an hour ago
  • Instagram
    a minute ago

    Couple with 22 children taken to court over $70,000 Disney vacation

    The family were hit with fines on top of the cost of the extravagant trip

    News
  • Ollie Millington/Redferns via Getty Images
    an hour ago

    10 symptoms of pancreatic cancer explained as D'Angelo dies aged 51

    The disease is dubbed the 'silent killer'

    News
  • Getty Images/Stephen Lovekin
    an hour ago

    Former inmate in same prison as pedophile rockstar Ian Watkins explains how he was a 'dead man walking'

    The Lostprophets frontman died on Saturday - a death that inmates could see coming, as one former prisoner paints a picture of his tenure

    News
  • James Devaney/WireImage via Getty Images/Derek White/Getty Images for TV One
    an hour ago

    Son of R&B legend D'Angelo and Angie Stone speaks out on losing both parents in a year

    Michael Archer Jr. has lost both of his parents at just 27 years old

    Celebrity