Internet Criticizes Ryan Murphy for Justifying Inaccurate Representation of Menendez Brothers’ Relationship as Exploitation of Trauma

Ryan Murphy’s newest Netflix true crime drama, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, has ignited significant backlash among social media users. The second season of Murphy’s Monster anthology series premiered on the streaming platform on September 19, focusing on the notorious case of the Menendez brothers, who infamously murdered their parents in 1989.

Throughout their trial, the brothers asserted that they committed the homicides out of fear of their father, who was accused of subjecting them to sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. The series faced criticism for suggesting that the Menendez brothers had an incestuous relationship without appropriate evidence. In response, Erik Menendez and his wife, Tammi Menendez, publicly condemned the portrayal shortly after the series debuted.

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight on September 23, Ryan Murphy defended his project, claiming that “60 to 65 percent”of the portrayal focused on the abuse suffered by the brothers. He argued that there was an “obligation”to represent the viewpoints of all parties involved in the case, referencing journalist Dominick Dunne’s reports regarding the show’s incestual angle. Murphy’s defense was shared by Pop Crave on X (formerly Twitter), leading to a lively discussion among users in the comments.

Many social media users expressed dissatisfaction with Murphy’s explanation. For instance, an X user named @oasisraindrops stated:

“”an obligation”you just wanted to make money off their trauma so you needed the show to be talked about and this was the easiest way to do that…”

Social media users accused Murphy of “sensationalizing trauma for views.”

Some users labeled Ryan Murphy a “sick individual,”claiming he turned the Menendez brothers’ tragic story into a “weird fantasy.”

Ryan Murphy defended his show citing the makers’ “obligation as storytellers”

During his interview with Entertainment Tonight, Ryan Murphy expressed it was “interesting”that Erik had issued a statement before viewing the show. He acknowledged how challenging it might be to see one’s life dramatized on screen.

The director of the Monsters series emphasized that the narrative was constructed with care, mentioning that the brothers were afforded “their day in court,”where they could share their perspectives. Acknowledging the sensitivities surrounding the representation of sexual abuse on television, he reiterated that all viewpoints should be explored in this case, referring to it as a “‘Rashomon’ kind of approach”involving multiple parties. He articulated:

“Two of them are dead. What about the parents? We had an obligation as storytellers to also try and put in their perspective based on our research, which we did.”

Regarding the contentious depiction of an incestuous relationship between the brothers presented in the series, Murphy defended that the portrayal was rooted in actual viewpoints and theories proposed during the trial. He explained:

“Dominick Dunne [a Vanity Fair journalist portrayed on the show by Nathan Lane] wrote several articles discussing that theory. We are presenting his point of view. And we had an obligation to show all of that and we did.”

Prior to the release of the show, Tammi Menendez, Erik Menendez’s wife, took to X on September 10 to assert that the show was a “complete train wreck,”accused of distorting the truth and exaggerating events. Following the release on September 19, she posted:

“I’m sorry to know I was right. The Netflix show was an insane perversion of the truth and a complete and tragic misrepresentation of Erik and Lyle!”

On the same day, Tammi released a statement from her husband, Erik Menendez, who criticized the show as “slanderous, vile, and appalling.”He asserted that the show’s “dishonest portrayal”set their narrative back and expressed disbelief that Ryan Murphy could be this “naive and inaccurate”without ulterior motives.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story serves as the second installment of Murphy’s anthology series, with the first season centering on Jeffery Dahmer, a serial killer and sex offender. Both seasons are available for streaming on Netflix.

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