Inside the Controversial Incest Claims in ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’

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In the gripping world of Ryan Murphy’s recent masterpiece, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” one element continues to baffle me as a devoted fan. Even after the dust has settled on the intense debate between the series’ creator and the Menendez brothers’ family, this particular question lingers: Why did this show, grounded in truth yet experimenting with varying viewpoints, occasionally depict the brothers as sharing an incestuous relationship? This unforeseen portrayal, hinted at early on and never fully explained, casts a shadow over the rest of the series. It’s a twist without factual basis and stands out starkly amidst a narrative based on real events. Strangely enough, it was a part of their story that unfolded in the secluded confines of a jury room.

The Netflix miniseries depicts the infamous double murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez and the subsequent trials that followed, which were among the platform’s most popular and high-profile productions in 2024. This series generated significant interest in the campaign for the release of the brothers, and it may have played a role in prompting California’s legal system into action, as court proceedings to reconsider their sentences commenced on March 20. However, if this resentencing effort leads to their release, any accolades Ryan Murphy receives will be bittersweet, as both the brothers and their family publicly criticized the show upon its release; in an open letter, Erik Menendez expressed his disapproval, stating that the portrayal of their lives was “vile and appalling” and “disheartening slander.” Nevertheless, Murphy defended his work.

He stated, “The Menendez brothers ought to be sending me bouquets, considering they haven’t received such attention in three decades. This recent focus has caught the eyes not just of our nation but of the entire globe. There seems to be a surge of curiosity about their lives and this case. I can assure you that since my show has sparked interest, numerous individuals have offered assistance for them. My series and our work have brought attention to their situation, he added. However, it’s clear that neither the Menendez brothers nor their legal team would ever say, ‘Your portrayal was fantastic and accurate.’ Such a scenario was never an option, and I had no intention of it becoming reality.

In Murphy’s series, he maintains that the narrative structure is reminiscent of the Rashomon-style multiple perspectives; however, this approach didn’t seem to resonate with viewers. Given the depiction of Erik and Lyle in the show, particularly during the hotel party scene in episode 2, it might lead a casual viewer to assume there was an intimate relationship between the two brothers. This assumption arises because, in that scene, they dance together and kiss, which may seem strange even given the stylized direction of the scene. However, this scene doesn’t reflect the perspective of Dominick Dunne (played by Nathan Lane), a character not initially introduced on the show. His role is to provide a wild speculation about the brothers’ motivations, as seen in his Vanity Fair articles. The Rashomon narrative style involves shifting perspectives, but unlike Akira Kurosawa’s film, Murphy’s series doesn’t guide the script with such clear transitions or distinct introductory sequences for each perspective.

The questionable scenes suggesting incest between the characters – like the scene at the Beverly Hills Hotel in episode two and another where Kitty Menendez discovers her sons in a private moment while showering together – are included in an episode that does not explore the stern matriarch’s thoughts on her family’s situation. There are no other hints in the series or trial evidence to suggest she held such thoughts about her sons. These scenes, which echo another puzzling moment in the series, have been criticized for turning the Menendez family and their supporters against Murphy and the show.

Looking at certain resources used for the production of the show, some clarity is provided, such as a controversial allegation that surfaced in the highly successful series. To grasp why the characters might be perceived as incestuous, it’s essential to delve back into the first trial of Erik Menendez and absorb a book penned by a juror from that trial – which resulted in a stalemate, leading the brothers towards their second joint trial with limited evidence. This trial eventually ended with the brothers being sentenced to serve two life sentences without the possibility of parole.

On June 28, 1993, Hazel Thornton, who worked at Pacific Bell in Pasadena, went to Van Nuys for her jury duty assignment. Over the next seven months, she listened to every intricate detail of a case that left the nation stunned and true crime enthusiasts enthralled. The trial concluded with a divided verdict when the twelve-person jury, made up of six men and six women, failed to reach an agreement; the women favored a manslaughter conviction and a lighter sentence. Remarkably, it was observed that the jury’s division was, in many aspects, along gender lines.

Despite the dissatisfying result for Thornton, she emerged from the challenging and unsuccessful jury duty as one of 12 key decision-makers in a case that sparked national conversation. Moreover, she possessed an exclusive collection of raw data – extensive notes detailing the prolonged debates in the jury room, where the dynamics transformed into a gender-oriented conflict, with women jurors joining forces to help their male counterparts grasp the intricacies of physical and emotional abuse.

Thornton shared with The Hollywood Reporter over the phone, “It was a personal journal I kept during the trial. Since we weren’t allowed to talk to anyone about the proceedings, the judge warned us daily not to disclose any trial details. Writing in this diary became my method of coping with the trial stress. It wasn’t meant for public consumption.

However, following persuasion from a publishing house, her journal entries eventually became a published book. Thornton shared that she resisted the idea of incorporating gruesome crime details within her work.

She described the book as having a scholarly nature. You either approve of it as it stands, or you don’t.

The Hung Jury: A Juror’s Account from the Menendez Trial” focuses on the intricate discussions within the jury during Erik’s trial in 1993. Thornton, one of the jurors, recounts that a significant portion of these deliberations centered around Erik’s sexuality, lasting an entire month. This was due to Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Lester Kuriyama implying in his closing speech that Erik Menendez was hiding his homosexuality as the root cause of the family strife rather than years of abuse by his father. In 1993, being gay wasn’t widely accepted; the military was about to implement the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for gay individuals, AIDS was gradually being controlled but gay men were still heavily stigmatized, and DACA hadn’t been struck down by the Supreme Court yet — all these factors help explain why Erik claimed Kitty Menendez viewed homosexuality as a fate worse than death. He also testified that she pressured him to find a girlfriend and set a deadline for him to do so, which he eventually accomplished.

In Thornton’s book/discussions, it’s revealed that Erik’s sexuality was a significant point of debate among the jury members. They requested all records containing the term “gay” due to its importance in their deliberations, causing much conjecture when they made this request. However, Thornton clarified to THR that the discussions were not about whether Erik was gay or engaging in sexual activities with Lyle, but rather centered around claims made by the prosecution that he was gay. Even when testimony about Lyle’s past abuse of Erik was brought up (a recurring issue among victims), this remained the focus during the gender-split deliberations, where neither side was willing to concede their stance.

Thornton’s notes include one intriguing sentence that could spark Murphy’s sensationalized interpretation about the Menendez brothers and their alleged private relationship. The three exclamation marks Thornton added at the end of the note suggest it might be an absurd idea.

Thornton, writing from the jury room, expressed that they believe Erik is gay and this explains his ability to describe same-sex acts. Phil believes that what Kitty had suspected all along is true – Erik is indeed gay. Moreover, several of the men speculate that Erik and Lyle were involved romantically or intimately.

A casual remark from a juror about an unfounded theory linked to Erik Menendez’s sexuality might appear insignificant in the intricate Menendez case for Murphy and Ian Brennan. However, this incest hypothesis was not only echoed but also reinforced by Robert Rand, author of “The Menendez Murders” and producer of “Menendez and Menudo: Boys Betrayed.” This theory, as reported by Thornton from the Erik Menendez jury, has since been included in the primary narrative of the Menendez case. It’s clear that Murphy and Brennan incorporated this angle into their multi-faceted portrayal of the true crime; unfortunately, they failed to disclose the origin of this information.

An email request sent by THR to Murphy seeking comment was not immediately returned on Tuesday.

From a gamer’s perspective, the tension between this element and its puzzling portrayal has left a lingering unease among the Menendez brothers, their family, supporters like Team Murphy, and myself – a spectator. No words of apology have been uttered, nor do I anticipate any coming. The outcome on their legal bid for freedom, to be decided in court on March 10, will offer some insight into this situation. As for Thornton, she declares that she’s never been a viewer of Murphy’s series and has no intentions of ever becoming one.

She clarified that the story included every gritty detail truthfully, but adding more sensational elements wasn’t necessary. In light of their case being re-evaluated, and many encountering it for the first time, she felt it was inappropriate to sensationalize it.

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2025-02-19 19:55