The real Erik Menendez blasts ‘blatant lies’ told by Netflix show in bombshell statement

The real Erik Menendez has slated Netflix for its portrayal of him and his brother in new series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which was only released yesterday.

The nine-part dramatisation tells the story of how the two brothers killed their parents at home, after years of alleged abuse. Lyle and Erik’s parents were José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, and were killed in their Beverly Hills home on August 20th, 1989. In March 1990, the Menendez brothers were arrested for their parents’ murders and placed on trial. They were found guilty, and have been in prison ever since.

Now, Twitter and TikTok accounts appearing to belong to Erik’s current wife Tammi, who regularly visits her husband in jail, have posted a lengthy statement about the Netflix show and branded it full of “blatant lies”. Erik Menendez appears to have called the Netflix drama “inaccurate” and said it is “sad” their “tragedy” has been told this way.

via Twitter / TikTok

The statement reads: “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. I can only believe they were done so on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe [creator] Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent.

“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.

“Is the truth not enough? Let the truth stand as truth. How demoralising to know one man with power can undermine decades of progress in shedding light on childhood trauma. Violence is never an answer, never a solution, and is always tragic. As such, I hope it is never forgotten that violence against a child creates a hundred horrendous and silent crime scenes darkly shadowed behind glitter and glamour and rarely exposed until tragedy penetrates everyone involved.”

The statement concludes: “To all those who have reached out and supported me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Netflix has not responded to the comments.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Netflix got most crucial scene in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story completely wrong

• In full: The real life escape plan letter Lyle wrote to brother Erik Menendez whilst in prison

• The true story of if Lyle Menendez lost his hair as shown in Monsters on Netflix

Featured image via Sipa/Shutterstock