‘He said a whole bunch of nothing’: Ryan Murphy flamed for defending ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’
Following criticism from the actual Erik Menéndez, creator and showrunner Ryan Murphy has defended his latest biographical crime drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Following the release of the series, Erik Menéndez slammed the show for its “naive and inaccurate” portrayal of him and his brother. He believed the show dramatized their lives greatly and also placed a focus on a sexual, incestuous relationship between the two, which they reportedly did not have in real life.
Following the backlash, Ryan Murphy has defended his series. However, people are not on his side.
Ryan Murphy defends Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
During a red carpet for his new FX series Grotesquerie, Entertainment Tonight asked Murphy about the negative reception to Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
The writer and producer claimed it was “interesting” that Erik Menéndez issued a statement regarding the show despite having not seen it. He said he wished the Menéndez brother could see the show to see how Cooper Koch portrayed him. He also said he recognized how hard it must be for them to see their lives play out on screen.
He went on to defend the show from allegations that it portrayed the brothers inaccurately, stating that “60–65% of the show centers around the abuse they claimed happened to them.” Murphy added that they spent three years researching the case, pulling from any sources they could find. He claims his team tried to find everything they could regarding the case and applauded them for talking and writing about sexual abuse.
The statement that rubbed people the wrong way was when Murphy said, “There were four people involved in that—two of them are dead, and two of them are alive with their point of view. But what about the parents? We had an obligation as storytellers to also try and put in their perspective based on our research, which we did.” He also added that the show presented various views and theories from those involved in the case.
The Menéndez brothers’ case revolves around the abuse they allegedly suffered from their parents, especially their father. The brothers were convicted in 1996 for the murder of their parents, which they argued happened as a result of the alleged abuse, though the prosecutors argued that the Menéndez brothers were after their parents’ wealth instead. Many believed that showing the parents in a light that countered the claims brought forward by Erik and Lyle was disrespectful to them and their families.
On X (formerly Twitter), many questioned Murphy’s statement. Some wondered how the research concluded that the brothers had a semi-incestuous relationship. During the trial in 1995, Lyle testified that he molested Erik as children by leading him to a secluded area and playing with him with a toothbrush. However, their lawyer stated that they were recalling the abuse they experienced as children, as this was something their father had done to them, not something one brother had done to the other.
Others slammed Murphy for being insensitive to the Menéndez brothers and their families. They demanded the producer apologize and stop making shows about these real-life horrors.
However, it appears Murphy is not letting the hate get to him. During that same interview, Murphy stated he was “very proud” of his and his team’s work on Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
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