Behind Bars, Behind Curses

The Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has sparked controversy, with real-life killer Erik Menendez lashing out at the show's inaccuracies. In a statement released via his brother Lyle's Facebook page, Erik expressed his dismay at the portrayal of his and Lyle's lives. He felt that the show created a caricature of his brother, rooted in lies and distortions. Erik believes that the show's creator, Ryan Murphy, must have intentionally ignored the facts. Erik's statement highlighted the difficulties of being a victim of abuse, stating that it is sad to see the painful truths of their crime taken backward in time. He implored storytellers to let the truth stand as the truth and thanked his supporters from the bottom of his heart. The Menendez brothers claimed self-defense at their murder trial, accusing their father of years of physical and sexual abuse. The show, which debuted on Netflix, stars Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch as Lyle and Erik, respectively. Oscar winner Javier Bardem plays their father, and Chloe Sevigny plays their mother. Murphy serves as co-creator and showrunner along with Ian Brennan.