The creator of the controversial Netflix series ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ has responded to viewers who criticized the show.
Showrunner Ryan Murphy spoke out following the series’ September 19 release, saying scenes featuring the brothers in an incestuous homoerotic relationship drew anger from some viewers.
Murphy explained why the scenes happened, saying he felt it was important to “present the perspectives and theories of so many people involved in the case,” even though some question whether they actually happened.
He noted that journalist Dominick Dunne, played by Nathan Lane on the series, “wrote several articles talking about that theory” around the time the brothers’ murder trials were drawing national attention in 1996.
“We’re presenting (Dunne’s) position. And we had an obligation to present all of that and we did,” Murphy said. Entertainment tonight.
Netflix announced a documentary about the murders a few weeks after Murphy’s series. Some supporters of the brothers felt more should have been said about them before the fictional version came out.
Ryan Murphy has been criticized for letting his brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez kiss in his new Netflix series Monsters
The shocking moment occurs in the show’s second episode, titled Spree
Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted in 1996 of the 1989 murders of their parents Jose and Kitty. Prosecutors said the brothers’ motive for the murder was to inherit their parents’ fortune.
The brothers alleged that their father sexually and emotionally abused them as children.
Now that the case has been thrust back into the spotlight, some people are siding with the brothers, viewing them as victims, saying the show misses the complexity of the murders.
The backlash was led by Erik himself, who said in a statement: “I believed we had moved past the lies and the ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, and had created a caricature of Lyle that was rooted in the horrible and blatant lies that were rampant on the show. I can only believe they did that on purpose.
“It is with a heavy heart that I have to say that Ryan Murphy cannot be so naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives that he can do this without malicious intent.”
Murphy responded this week: “I find it interesting that he would make a statement without having seen the show.”
“It’s really, really hard to see your life on screen, when it’s your life,” he said.
Ryan Murphy fired back at critics of the show, saying he felt it was important to “present the viewpoints and theories of so many people involved in the case”
Erik Menendez (right) criticized the show, saying it was “rooted in terrible and blatant lies”
The showrunner also denied claims that he overlooked the brothers’ alleged abuse.
“What I find interesting about his quote is that if you watch the show, I think 60 to 65 percent of the scripts and the filmmaking of our show revolves around the abuse and what they allege happened to them,” he said.
“And we do that very carefully. We give them a day in court and then they talk about it openly.”
Murphy acknowledged that addressing the issue of sexual abuse “can be controversial,” but said he felt it was important to provide a broad, multifaceted perspective out of respect for everyone involved.
“There were four people involved, and two of them are dead,” he concluded. “And the parents? We had an obligation as storytellers to also try to give their perspective based on our research, which we did.”
The Menendez brothers shot their parents to death with shotguns in their Beverly Hills home. Prosecutors say they were motivated by inheritance, while the brothers say they were victims of horrific sexual abuse.
Monsters premiered on Netflix on September 19 and stars the brothers as spoiled brats who get into a money scandal after shooting their parents.
Later in the series, the brothers’ sexual abuse by their parents is shown, hinting at Lyle and Erik’s real motives for the murders.
In the new series, Erik is played by Cooper Koch, while Lyle is played by Nicholas Alexander Chavez in the series.
Javier Bardem plays their father José Menendez and Chloë Sevigny plays their mother Kitty.
In his statement following the series’ release, Erik said, “It’s sad to know that Netflix’s unfair portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime has taken the painful truth several steps back
‘Back in time, to an era in which the Public Prosecution Service built a story on the belief that men were not sexually abused and that men experienced rape trauma differently than women.’
‘These terrible lies have been debunked and exposed by countless brave victims over the past two decades. They have broken through their personal shame and bravely spoken out,’ Erik emphasizes.
“So now Murphy fleshes out his hideous story through disgusting and appalling characterizations of Lyle and me and disheartening slander,” he wrote.
Erik and Lyke were convicted in 1996 for the murder of their parents in 1989 and are still in prison
Erik is portrayed in the series by Cooper Koch, while Lyle is portrayed in the series by Nicholas Alexander Chavez
The show opened with a scathing review of The Wrapin which Murphy was criticized for his “tasteless and exploitative” portrayal of the infamous murder case.
Fans also criticized the show on social media, with some calling it “hard to watch.”
One of them said about X: ‘If Ryan wanted to make a series about twin brothers who develop an intimate relationship with each other because of shared sexual trauma and abuse by their parents, he should have written a new story.
“You cannot rewrite the experiences of real people and REAL VICTIMS to suit your own needs!”