‘I Find That Curious’: After Erik Menéndez Slammed Netflix’s Monsters, Creator Ryan Murphy Responded With A Claim Of His Own

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As someone who has closely followed the Menéndez case for years, I find myself both intrigued and dismayed by the latest developments surrounding the upcoming Ryan Murphy series, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story.” On one hand, it’s fascinating to see the story being revisited, especially with a renowned director like Murphy at the helm. But on the other, I can’t help but feel a sense of unease as Erik Menéndez himself has expressed his dissatisfaction with how his story is being portrayed.

After the airing of “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story” in the 2024 TV lineup, Erik Menéndez and his wife have spoken out against the Ryan Murphy production which recounts the tale of their conviction for murdering their parents, Kitty and Jose Menéndez, in 1989. Now, the show’s creator has addressed this criticism and shared his personal perspective on the true crime series.

What Erik Menéndez Said About Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menéndez Story

Over the past weekend, a statement by Erik Menéndez circulated widely through Tammi Menéndez’s X account. In this statement, he explicitly criticized Murphy and the show, stating that the executive producer “seems alarmingly uninformed and inaccurate about the details of our lives, which suggests they may not be acting with good intentions.” He further added:

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 – back through time to an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women. Those awful lies have been disrupted and exposed by countless brave victims over the last two decades who have broken through their personal shame and bravely spoken out. So now Murphy shapes his horrible narrative through vile and appalling character portrayals of Lyle and of me and disheartening slander.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’d like to share my perspective on something that resonates beyond the world of pixels and avatars – the Netflix adaptation of a story I hold dear. To put it frankly, I found myself at odds with certain creative decisions made by Ryan Murphy. My full thoughts on this matter can be found in the statement below.

Now, the show’s creator has shared his thoughts on these comments.

How Ryan Murphy Responded To Erik Menéndez’s Comments

During the red carpet event for the debut of “Grotesquerie”, Murphy was questioned about the criticism he’s faced from Erik Menéndez regarding another upcoming show of his this fall. In reply, he mentioned that Menéndez hasn’t actually seen the series (which can be accessed with a Netflix subscription). He also praised Cooper Koch’s portrayal of Erik in an interview with E! News.

From what I know, it strikes me as unusual that he hasn’t seen the series yet. As a matter of fact, here’s something else: I believe he should give it a watch. If he does, I think he’d be thoroughly impressed by Cooper Koch’s portrayal of his character.

Murphy elaborated by saying that the series tackles the mistreatment the siblings experienced, specifically focusing on their suffering as victims.

The storyline revolves around the siblings who are accused of killing their parents. According to the prosecution, their primary reason for this crime was the desire to acquire a large inheritance. However, as Erik’s testimony suggests, the brothers have consistently asserted that they were victims of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. In line with this, Murphy mentioned that the show delves into this aspect, stating:

In the program we’re discussing, approximately 60-65% of it revolves around Erik and Lyle Menendez sharing insights into their experiences of abuse, victimization, and emotional turmoil. On our show, these two individuals have their day in court and more. This is nothing new to me, as I often tackle thought-provoking and contentious subjects, my philosophy being ‘neither complain nor justify.’

In each episode of the show, a fresh perspective on the case is presented. Moreover, the producer mentioned his hope that viewers would be encouraged to form their own opinions regarding innocence, guilt, and who among the characters might be the villain. Lastly, it was emphasized that this project aims to shed light on an often overlooked topic: male sexual abuse.

Ryan Murphy has encountered situations like this before, as demonstrated by his recent work, a series centered around the Menendez brothers. Notably, this new production follows the intensely debated first season of the show “Monsters“, which delved into the story of Jeffrey Dahmer.

Immediately upon its release, the show Dahmer was met with significant criticism. At one point, a friend of one of Dahmer’s victims publicly criticized the producers, claiming that the series was released “too soon” and was simply a “grab for media attention.” Moreover, the sister of another victim stated that she had not been contacted about the series beforehand, despite being portrayed as a character in it. However, Ryan Murphy did assert that he attempted to contact the victims’ families. Consequently, the producer has faced similar backlash as Menéndez previously did.

In essence, discussions regarding “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story” are intricate, and we’ll provide updates as they unfold, keeping you informed along the way.

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2024-09-24 19:08