Erik Menéndez Claims Ryan Murphy’s 'Monsters' Series Is Filled With 'Blatant Lies'

LyleMenéndez and Erik Menéndez became infamous in the early '90s after the shocking murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menéndez, in their Beverly Hills mansion.

TheMenéndez brothers, just 21 and 18 at the time, brutally gunned down their parents on the night of August 20, 1989. The high-profile killings sent shockwaves across the nation, not only because of the crime itself, but also due to the Menéndez family’s wealth and prominence. For those unaware, José was a successful entertainment executive.

The Menéndez case captured the nation’s attention, especially when it hit the small screen. The first trial resulted in two deadlocked juries, but in a dramatic turn, the brothers were convicted of first-degree murder in a second trial in 1996. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, and they have remained behind bars ever since, continuing to be a topic of fascination and controversy.

Now, their story is once again being told, this time in Netflix's "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story."

Erik officially broke his silence on the new Netflix project, criticizing the portrayals of him and his brother Lyle in recent media, insisting that their claims of childhood abuse and self-defense in the murders of their parents are misrepresented.

“I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show," Erik said in a statement on his brother's Facebook page, reflecting on the trauma and violence they endured growing up.

"I can only believe they were done so on purpose," he added. "It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent.”

He later spoke on the violence they endured growing up, arguing that the show fails to capture the true extent of their experiences accurately.

“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," he continued. "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."

José and Kitty were discovered in their living room, tragically shot to death with two 12-gauge shotguns. The gruesome scene was so shocking that investigators initially suspected a possible mob connection, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"The bodies were distorted," former Beverly Hills police captain and murder investigator, Russ Olson said on an episode of the true-crime documentary, 'Snapped.' "They had no resemblance of what you would expect a human being to look like."

José was shot at point-blank range in the back of the head, receiving three additional shots to his arms and legs. In contrast, Kitty suffered a more brutal fate, being shot four times in the head and another five times in various parts of her body.

"It was just absolutely savage," he added. "You're looking at two human beings who had been ripped apart."

The new Netflix project delves into the shocking events surrounding the murder of José and Mary Louise "Kitty," in August 1989, as well as the sensational trial that followed in the early '90s.

After the brothers committed the heinous act at their family home, Lyle called 911 in tears, claiming they had gone out to see a movie only to return and discover their parents dead. It wasn’t until months later that the brothers were arrested for the killings.

Ultimately, Erik and Lyle were convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and are currently serving their sentences at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.

"Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story" is streaming now on Netflix.