Monsters 2: Where is Leslie Abramson now? Exploring what happened to the lawyer

Leslie Abramson from a still in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story | Image Source: Netflix
Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson from a still in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story | Image Source: Netflix

Monsters 2: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has become a topic of great conversation lately with the true crime docuseries doing great on Netflix. Since its release, the show has generated traction with the story of how the Menendez brothers murdered their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez.

While the spotlight was on their complex case involving alleged s*xual abuse by their parents—specifically their father—all eyes were also on Ari Graynor’s portrayal of their attorney, Leslie Abramson.

Abramson was primarily Erik Menendez’s attorney and was considered one of the most established criminal defense lawyers from Los Angeles. She left no stone unturned and played a pivotal role in narrating the Menendez brothers’ story of alleged abuse since they were children.

Abramson’s alma mater was at UCLA and she further pursued her law degree at the State Bar of California in 1970. Once she obtained her license to practice law, Abramson proceeded to work at the County Public Defender’s Office for about 6 years before pursuing a private firm.

Her career was pretty much propelled since then, eventually resulting in her representing Erik from Monsters 2: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Abramson did not appear in the new docuseries about the brothers, nor has she commented on it since it aired.


What is Leslie Abramson from Monsters 2 up to now?

Leslie Abramson from Monsters 2 is living her life on the down-low, away from the limelight. Years after the Menendez case, she eventually went on to retire and is living a quiet life on the outskirts of Los Angeles surrounded by the warmth and love of her family.

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Abramson married her now ex-husband Tim Rutten and welcomed a daughter and later adopted a son. Her ex-husband sadly passed away in 2022.

As mentioned, Abramson seldom makes public appearances, especially after the Monsters 2 case. Per Esquire, she did administer a brilliant speech about women lawyers and an attribute to nurture and develop. The publication quotes a fragment of her speech:

“What I think is something necessary to be a great criminal lawyer is something I think women already have: A desire to understand people and human relationships.”

Abramson’s words echo her actions in defending Erik to the best of her abilities, empathizing with him, while not excusing what he did, she understood what reportedly drove him and his brother to take that drastic measure as disclosed in Monsters 2.


What was Leslie Abramson's defense in Monsters 2?

After enduring two heated trials unraveling and living and recalling every detail twice, the court found the boys guilty of homicide and sentenced them to life imprisonment without parole.

Shortly after the trial ended, Abramson wasn’t in the least bit happy about the aftermath, especially after her strong defense as revealed in Monsters 2.

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Abramson strongly argued that both boys including her client Erik endured immense and unspeakable s*xual molestation. She narrated in great detail the tale of their abuse followed by the timeline of it all. Furthermore, she highlighted Jose and Kitty’s parenthood entailing they were “eventually going to kill them.”

In a statement with the Los Angeles Times at the end of the trial, Abramson expressed her disgruntlement with the reportedly “cruel and heartless” verdict as she called it. Like Monsters 2 mentioned, the parents allegedly “pushed their sons to kill them,” per Abramson.


Also read: How accurate is Monsters Season 2 on Netflix? Vetting all details of The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

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Edited by Sezal Srivastava