After watching Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix, most of the viewers are curious about the anthology series' accuracy in depicting the story of Lyle and Erik Menendez. The two brothers shook the entire nation after shooting their parents multiple times, and were allegedly victims of child abuse.
Before the release of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, viewers were expecting a deep dive into their traumatising past and how it led Lyle and Erik Menendez to gun down their own parents.
However, after witnessing the inappropriate closeness between the brothers and a lack of focus on the sensitivity of the topic, Erik and Lyle Menendez openly shared their thoughts on Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's true-crime series on Netflix.
The Menendez brothers, along with many viewers of the anthology series, did not anticipate the reduced focus on the struggles of Lyle and Erik Menendez. Erik Menendez shared how he felt after watching Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story through a statement shared by his wife, Tammi Menendez, on social media
"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..."
There are changes made by the creators of the series, and the Menendez brothers didn't seem to have liked it. However, Ryan Murphy is known for making hit true-crime series and exercises creative liberty in his storytelling.
Is Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix really accurate?
There's an online debate going on about the accuracy of Monster Season 2, as the real-life figures themselves called out the makers for diverting from facts. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story follows the 1989 Beverly Hills, California slayings of wealthy entertainment executive José Menendez and his wife Kitty Menendez.
However, the creators also used their creativity in unfolding the narrative revolving around Lyle and Erik Menendez. For instance in episode 2, when Erik was anxious about being caught, his elder brother comforted him with a kiss on his lips.
The two even showered together and behaved oddly during a party at their new home. Erik Menendez isn't bisexual, but Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story featured the character as gay, who even has a romantic relationship with a boy at the age of 16.
This is revealed in the fifth episode, where Erik Menendez talks about AIDS and even confessed to having s*x with his boyfriend.
Apart from the fictionalized relationship, other changes made to the anthology series include the modern perspective to explain the effects of child abuse and as revealed by Ryan Murphy in a conversation with IndieWire, they focused on "how monsters are made, as opposed to born."
Were the Menendez brothers romantically attracted to each other in real life?
While Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story leaves viewers confused about the brothers having an incestuous relationship, the series never explicitly confirms it. After the murder, Lyle was the only one who guaranteed support and love to his brother, as they both suffered similar tragedies.
Lyle Menendez has now turned 56 years old, and Erik Menendez will soon turn 54 in two months. They both are married and constantly working towards becoming a better person. Since their conviction, the Menendez brothers have always emphasized the negative impact of child abuse, and how they couldn't find an option but to execute their allegedly abusive parents.
The brothers were kept in separate prisons until they reunited in 2018 and when asked about talking to Lyle in 2005, Erik Menendez told People that:
"I haven’t talked to Lyle in nine years... My brother took my beatings for me as a kid. So I will always love him deeply. But we’ve been apart for so long, we no longer have shared experiences."
It was on Wednesday, April 4, 2018, when the Menendez brothers saw each other after years and couldn't resist bursting into tears. Currently, Lyle and Erik Menendez are serving a lifetime in prison at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California.
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Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is available on Netflix.
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