Menendez family reveal Ryan Murphy "never spoke" to them about Netflix series

26 September 2024, 20:38

Menendez family have slammed Netflix and Ryan Murphy in an open letter condemning the series. Picture: Netflix, MIKE NELSON/AFP via Getty Images

By Katie Louise Smith

The extended Menendez family have called the series a "grotesque shockadrama" and slammed Ryan Murphy's research claims. Read their statement below.

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Ryan Murphy has been slammed again over his new Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, this time by the entire Menendez family who claim that not only did he falsely portray the Menendez brothers' story, but also failed to contact them personally.

The statement, shared on X/Twitter by Erik's wife Tammi Menendez, was issued on behalf of Lyle and Erik’s aunt, Joan Vandermolen, and the 24-person extended Menendez family. The note was addressed to the Netflix show and to Ryan Murphy.

In the searing criticism of the series, the statement reads: "Ryan Murphy's [series] is a phobic, gross, anachronistic, serial episodic nightmare that is not only riddled with mistruths and outright falsehoods but ignores the most recent exculpatory revelations."

"Our family has been victimised by this 'grotesque shockadrama'.”

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story trailer

The statement continues: "Murphy claims he spent years researching the case but in the end relied on debunked Dominick Dunne, the pro-prosecution hack, to justify his slander against us and never spoke to us."

The family say that the "character assassination" of Lyle and Erik under the guide of story telling narrative is "repulsive".

"We know these men," it continues. "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 eyewitness to many atrocities one should never have to bear witness to."

The statement ends with the family saying: “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.”

This is the official response from Joan VanderMolen (Erik's Aunt) and the Menendez Family to the Netflix Series" "Monsters, the Lyle and Erik Menendez Story" and to Ryan Murphy.#Menendez #NetflixMonsters #RyanMurphy pic.twitter.com/o7KEOEoYwr
— Tammi Menendez (@TammiMenendez1) September 26, 2024

Ryan, as well as actors Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, have now responded to Erik's statement slamming the series.

Ryan defended the show, telling E! News: "I think that’s interesting because I know he hasn’t watched the show. So I find that curious. I hope he does watch it. I think if he did watch it he would be incredibly proud of Cooper Koch who plays him."

"It’s a 35 to 30-year-old case," he continued. "We show many, many, many perspectives. That’s what the show does in every episode. You are given a new theory based on people who were either involved or covered the case."

He asserted that the show spent "60-65%" of the story focused on the brothers recounting their experience of abuse at the hands of their parents.

Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch have both responded to Erik Menendez's statement. Picture: Netflix

It's not the first time Ryan Murphy has been called out by the subjects of his true crime dramatisations either. In 2022, following the release of Monster: Dahmer - The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, the show creator was called out by the families of the victims depicted in the series.

The mother of Tony Hughes, who was killed by Dahmer, told the Guardian: "I don’t see how they can do that. I don’t see how they can use our names and put stuff out like that out there.”

Rita Isbell, the sister of Errol Lindsey, also said that she had no idea she was being portrayed in the series. Dahmer recreated Isbell's devastating court statement, so much so that Rita thought it was actually her.

"I was never contacted about the show. I feel like Netflix should've asked if we mind or how we felt about making it. They didn't ask me anything. They just did it," she told Insider.

Following the Dahmer criticism, Ryan told The Hollywood Reporter: "We reached out to 20, around 20 of the victims’ families and friends trying to get input, trying to talk to people and not a single person responded to us in that process."

He has not yet responded to the new statement from the Menendez family.