Were Lyle and Erik Menendez lovers?

Last Modified Mar 29, 2025 01:50 EDT
Were Lyle and Erik Menendez lovers?
The Menendez Family (Source: Instagram)


No, Lyle and Erik Menendez were not lovers. They are brothers.


Erik and Lyle Menendez are infamous brothers known for killing their parents Kitty and Jose Menendez on the evening of August 20, 1989. After murdering their parents, the brothers orchestrated as if they came home to find them dead and told the authorities that there could be possibilities of mafia involvement.


Months after managing to trick the police, the brothers were arrested in 1990. First, Lyle Menendez was arrested on the charges of murdering their parents. Three days later, Erik turned himself in after returning to Los Angeles from Israel. Over the years, various movies, TV shows, documentaries, and more have been created on their case.


Why did Erik and Lyle Menendez kill their parents?


Before Erik and Lyle Menendez were arrested, the police were suspicious of them killing their parents for inheritance. However, after the arrest, the brothers made a shocking revelation of how their father Jose Menendez sexually abused both the brothers since they were young. After a point, Lyle threatened his father that he would expose him as being a sexual predator if he did not stop abusing his brother Erik Menendez.


As per the brothers’ testimony to their attorney Leslie Abramson, they were scared that Jose Menendez along with their mother Kitty Menendez was planning to murder them after they had asked him to stop and threatened him of exposing the alleged reality. As per reports, the brothers felt threatened and killed their parents in ‘self-defense’.


Are Erik and Lyle Menendez out of jail?


Were Lyle and Erik Menendez lovers?
Lyle and Erik Menendez (Source: Screengrab from trailer)


No, Erik and Lyle are not out of jail. After their arrest and trial, the brothers were given a life sentence for murdering their parents. The Menendez brothers are currently serving life in prison at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California.


However, after the release of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix show, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the brothers' case was showered with attention and sympathy from jail. As of 2024, Lyle and Erik Menendez’s case is once again gaining momentum as fans want the court to release them from jail. Recently, Los Angeles district attorney George Gascón recommended a resentencing after reviewing a habeas corpus petition.


New evidence has now been discovered by the authorities which is a letter Erik wrote to his now late cousin Andy Cano, months before he committed the crime. The letter suggests that their father Jose Menedez indeed had sexually abused them throughout their childhood. In addition to this, a former member of Menudo Roy Rosselló also came out and claimed that he too was molested by Jose.


About Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story


Were Lyle and Erik Menendez lovers?
Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez (Source: Screengrab from trailer)


Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is the second season of Ryan Murphy's Netflix anthology series, Monster. It explores the infamous 1989 case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, who murdered their parents, José and Kitty Menendez. The series developed by Murphy revolves around whether the Menendez brothers acted out of greed or were victims of lifelong abuse. Featuring multiple perspectives, the show was released on Netflix and became a hit in no time. Murphy's criminal anthology also went on to earn a Golden Globe nomination.


Also read about: Where can I watch monsters the Lyle and Erik Menendez story?

FAQs about Lyle and Erik Menendez

A. Lyle Menendez was born on January 10, 1968. He is currently 56 years old.

A. Lyle Menendez is the elder brother of Erik. He is 2 years older than him.

A. One can watch Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story on Netflix.

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