Current:Home > ScamsMenendez brothers' family slam 'grotesque' Netflix show 'Monsters' for 'outright falsehoods'-LoTradeCoin
Menendez brothers' family slam 'grotesque' Netflix show 'Monsters' for 'outright falsehoods'
View Date:2024-12-23 21:38:06
The Menéndez family is speaking out against Ryan Murphy and Netflix.
Tammi Menendez, wife of Erik Menéndez, has shared a statement on social media attributed to "virtually the entire extended family" of Erik and Lyle Menéndez slamming Murphy's Netflix series "Monsters."
The group of family members, which the statement said consists of 24 people, criticized the show as a "phobic, gross, anachronistic, serial episodic nightmare that is not only riddled with mistruths and outright falsehoods but ignores the most recent exculpatory revelations."
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Netflix and Murphy for comment.
"Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story" centers around the Menéndez brothers, who were convicted of killing their parents in 1996. The brothers argued they acted in self-defense following years of abuse by their father, José Menéndez.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
In a previous statement, Erik Menéndez blasted the Netflix show for its "caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies" and its "dishonest portrayal" of their story.
The extended family said in their own statement that they have been "victimized" by the "grotesque shockadrama" and that Murphy "never spoke to us" before making the show.
Erik Menendezslams Ryan Murphy, Netflix for 'dishonest portrayal' of his parent's murders
"The character assassination of Erik and Lyle, who are our nephews and cousins, under the guise of a 'story telling narrative' is repulsive," they said.
"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. 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.
"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."
'Monsters' star Nicholas Alexander Chaveresponds after Erik Menendez slams Netflix series
One of the series' most controversial elements is its suggestion that Erik and Lyle Menéndez may have been in an incestuous relationship. They kiss on the lips in one episode, while in another, their mom walks in on them showering together. The latter scene is presented as a theory of journalist Dominick Dunne, played by Nathan Lane, who hypothesizes the brothers might have killed their parents to cover up their relationship.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Murphy defended the show by saying his intent was to include multiple perspectives on what happened.
"What the show is doing is presenting the points of view and theories from so many people who were involved in the case," Murphy said. "Dominick Dunne wrote several articles talking about that theory. We are presenting his point of view, just as we present (Menéndez attorney) Leslie Abramson's point of view. We had an obligation to show all of that, and we did."
In their statement, the family described Dunne, who died in 2009, as a "pro-prosecution hack."
Murphy also told ET it's "interesting" that Erik Menéndez issued a statement "without having seen the show," adding, "I would say 60-65% of our show, in the scripts and in the film form, center around the abuse and what they claim happened to them, and we do it very carefully and we give them their day in court."
Nicholas Alexander Chavez, who played Lyle Menéndez, also responded to Erik Menéndez's previous statement by telling USA TODAY he has "sympathy and empathy" for him "in that I can only imagine how difficult it is to have the most traumatic moment of your life put up there on the screen for everyone to see."
veryGood! (543)
Related
- Congress returns to unfinished business and a new Trump era
- Want to train like an Olympic champion? Start with this expert advice.
- When does Simone Biles compete today? Paris Olympics gymnastics schedule for Monday
- Joe Rogan ribs COVID-19 vaccines, LGBTQ community in Netflix special 'Burn the Boats'
- Prosecutors say some erroneous evidence was given jurors at ex-Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial
- Olympic medals today: What is the medal count at 2024 Paris Games on Sunday?
- Dueling Harris and Trump rallies in the same Atlanta arena showcase America’s deep divides
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Whodunit? (Freestyle)
- Mean Girls’ Lacey Chabert Details “Full Circle” Reunion With Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Seyfried
- A college closes every week. How to know if yours is in danger of shutting down.
Ranking
- Reds honor Pete Rose with a 14-hour visitation at Great American Ball Park
- Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes Make Rare Appearance at 2024 Paris Olympics
- Why RHONJ’s Season 14 Last Supper Proves the Current Cast Is Done for Good
- Joe Rogan ribs COVID-19 vaccines, LGBTQ community in Netflix special 'Burn the Boats'
- Prosecutor failed to show that Musk’s $1M-a-day sweepstakes was an illegal lottery, judge says
- Sara Hughes, Kelly Cheng keep beach volleyball medal hopes alive in three-set thriller
- Preseason college football coaches poll: Who are the most overrated teams?
- Taylor Swift continues to shriek during this song. At first fans thought she was falling.
Recommendation
-
Gossip Girl Actress Chanel Banks Reported Missing After Vanishing in California
-
Simone Biles Wants People to Stop Asking Olympic Medalists This One Question
-
Debby shows there's more to a storm than wind scale: 'Impacts are going to be from water'
-
Pressure mounts on Victor Wembanyama, France in basketball at Paris Olympics
-
Texas’ 90,000 DACA recipients can sign up for Affordable Care Act coverage — for now
-
Financial markets around the globe are falling. Here’s what to know about how we got here
-
Financial markets around the globe are falling. Here’s what to know about how we got here
-
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he left a dead bear in Central Park as a prank