Family Members of the Menendez Brothers Have Come Forward Regarding Ryan Murphy's 'Monsters'

When Netflix dropped the first teaser trailer for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, it featured the brothers shirtless and hugging while covered in blood. It's the most Ryan Murphy imagery imaginable and naturally caused quite a stir on social media. Obviously, that is the point of a trailer, but the show certainly proved to be equally if not more polarizing.

Since its release, reactions to the series have been extremely divided. Many saw the show as a sympathetic take on a complicated story, giving a great deal of time to the brothers' alleged sexual abuse by their father. Some were horrified by Murphy's choice to include rumors of homosexuality and incest that were floating around at the time of their trials. Erik released a statement condemning the show and in particular, its portrayal of Lyle. Extended family members have since followed suit.

Erik's wife Tammi Menendez shared an official statement from Erik's aunt, Joan VanderMolen, X (formerly Twitter) a week after it premiered. In it, 24 extended family members collectively stated they want the world to know they support Erik and Lyle. They are also hoping the brothers will be released after spending nearly 35 years behind bars. "We know them, love them, and want them home with us," they said.

The family goes on to critique Murphy's take on Erik and Lyle's experiences, describing Monsters as a "phobic, gross, anachronistic, serial episodic nightmare that is not only riddled with mistruths and outright falsehoods but ignores the most recent exculpatory revelations." The family says they have been traumatized by what they are calling a "grotesque shock drama," and called into question Murphy's years of research.

Some of the series focuses on Dominck Dunne, the journalist who covered the trials for Vanity Fair. It also briefly looks into Dunne's own horrific loss, the murder of his daughter Dominique, and how that informed his reporting. The Menendez family was unhappy with Murphy's inclusion of Dunne's own theories, claiming he has since been debunked. They also referred to the late Dunne as a "pro-prosecution hack."

The family firmly believes that Monsters is a "character assassination" and reiterates that they believe Erik and Lyle's claims of abuse. Having known Erik and Lyle since they were boys, the family stated they also "know what went on in their home, and the unimaginably turbulent lives they have endured." After shaming Netflix, Murphy, and all involved for being part of the series, the family suggests that perhaps it is Murphy who is the monster.