What Ryan Murphy got right in his Menendez Brothers Docuseries.
Lyle and Erik Menendez. We all know their names. But we just got a better glimpse into their story – or did we?
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” is a nine-episode biographical crime series released on Netflix on Sept. 19, 2024. Based on the real-life case of the brothers who were convicted of murdering their parents in 1996, this series shows viewers who they are, what they did and why they did it. But Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the directors of the series are receiving backlash for including false information.
In this article, each episode will be broken down into what’s true and what isn’t – and my opinion will be at the very end.
Episode 1: “Blame it on the rain”
MYTH: Lyle Menendez was annoyed by and rude to those around him.
Throughout all of the media portrayals of the brothers, Lyle was seen as a hateful person. He was rude to his family, his lawyers and pretty much everyone he encountered. However, after the release of the Netflix series, Erik Menendez released a statement through his wife’s X account.
“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.”
The full statement goes on to speak on Ryan Murphy and Netflix, saying they are naive for their portrayal of the brothers.
FACT: Erik Menendez confessed to his therapist.
On Oct. 31, 1989, Erik went to his therapist, Dr. Ozeil, and confessed to the murders after talking about his nightmares and suicidal thoughts. This prompted Ozeil to call Lyle into the office and get a joint confession. Ozeil recording the sessions eventually led to the arrest of the brothers, just as depicted in the show.
KIND OF TRUE: The brothers were “inspired” by the “Billionaire Boys Club”
Okay, so this one is a little bit complicated. As the show depicts, Erik was watching the film, “Billionaire Boys Club” about three weeks before the murders, showed it to Lyle, and that is where they got their idea.
But, in the words of Erik himself during the trial, he never saw the film, but he was aware of the real story behind the case. It is unclear if they got “inspiration,” per say, from the case, but it can be easy to compare the two cases.
FACT: Lyle Menendez wore a toupee.
This may seem like one of those things added for drama, but it’s true – Lyle wore a hairpiece. Written in the book based on the murders, “The Menendez Murders,” and as told on Today, Lyle began to lose hair as a teenager, was fitted for a hairpiece, and had it attached with extra-strength glue.
FACT: Lyle Menendez chose to play “Girl I’m Gonna Miss You” by Milli Vanilli at the memorial.
Shocking choice, but true.
Episode 2: “Spree”
FACT: The police never tested the brothers’ fingertips for gunpowder residue.
As unbelievable as it seems, it’s true. At first, the brothers were not considered suspects in the case.
“The gunpowder residue was all over our hands. If they would’ve just pressed me, I wouldn’t have been able to withstand any questioning,” Lyle says in the documentary, “The Menendez Brothers.”
FACT: Erik and his friend, Craig, wrote a screenplay about a boy killing his parents.
It was called “Friends,” and it was written about two years before the murders took place. The lead character, Hamilton Cromwell, goes on more of a spree and kills five people. Though suspicious, there was no correlation found between the case and the screenplay.
FACT: Judalon Smyth was the one to tip off the police.
After Ozeil kicked Smyth out of his house, his former mistress told the police about the tapes
of Ozeil’s sessions with the brothers discussing the murders. This led to the police seizing the tapes in March of 1990 and the arrest of the brothers.
Episode 3: “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime”
MYTH: Erik Menendez was gay.
Though never explicitly stated in the show, there were multiple instances where it was implied. There was a man Erik met in prison that he seemed to have a relationship with and a few comments made by Lyle in the show that gave that impression.
In real-life, Barbara Walters interviewed the brothers and asked him if this was true. Erik denies it, and he is now happily married to his wife, Tammi.
FACT: Lyle Menendez wrote an escape plan letter to Erik in prison.
This is true, but it was highly dramatized in the series. The real letter was heartfelt, detailing how Lyle really felt about telling everyone what their father did to them, but it did also include detailed drawing of the prison and what they would need to do after they escaped.
“Change name. Change appearance. Plastic surgeon. Need silencer. Need finances. How transfer money? How communicate overseas?”
That is a piece of the letter that was elaborated on further by Ryan Murphy.
Episode 4: “Kill or Be Killed”
FACT: The family moved after Erik and Lyle robbed houses in the area.
The boys stole a total of over $100,000 in money and jewelry from homes in Calabasas.
FACT: There was speculation that the boys were lying on the stand.
Due to the claims they made against their parents, people immediately sympathized with the boys – but not everyone. Because the brothers waited so long to say something about the abuse, many doubted that this was true, and suspected it was only being said to receive pity.
Dr. Dominick Dunne even commented, saying their acting skills were wonderful.
FACT: Dominick Dunne wrote hateful articles about the trial of the brothers.
These articles are still available to read on Vanity Fair. Dunne was a firm believer that the boys killed their parents in cold-blood, wanting their inheritance.
Episode 5: “The Hurt Man”
This episode contains very detailed descriptions of what happened to Erik Menendez, which all appear to be true. Due to the serious manner of this episode, I will not be discussing the truth that came out.
Episode 6: “Don’t Dream It’s Over”
UNCLEAR: Kitty Menendez knew about the abuse.
According to Diane Vander Molen, Erik and Lyle’s cousin, she told Kitty about it after Lyle had told her. As Vander Molen testified, Kitty denied the abuse.
There is speculation that the brothers asked their cousin to say this, making it unclear as to whether Kitty knew or not.
Episode 7: “Showtime”
FACT: Norma Novelli recorded phone calls with Lyle.
Novelli says that Lyle consented to this, which he denies, under the impression she was going to help him write a book. Instead, she realized she could make money off of this and sold the tapes to an audio book company.
Episode 8: “Seismic Shifts”
FACT: Erik Menendez and OJ Simpson were in the cells next to each other.
According to Rand’s book, and as told by Us Magazine, the two spoke and Erik even offered advice to Simpson. This was not completely random though, as Simpson was a friend of the Menendez family.
MYTH: Jill lost hope in the case and declined to return as representation in the second trial.
While Jill Lansing did not return for the retrial, she did so because she wanted to spend more time with her daughter. While it may be true that the money played a part in her rejection, her main reason had nothing to do with losing hope in the boys.
Episode 9: “Hang Men”
MYTH: Leslie Abramson disapproved of the boys sending out letters to raise money.
Yes, the brothers really did send out letters asking for money in order to pay their lawyers once their money ran out. However, the show depicts Abramson being angry about that. In reality, Abramson encouraged the boys and even sent out the letters from her own firm.
FACT: Abramson and Erik played a game of hangman during the trial.
Abramson claims this was a “custom” of hers.
FACT: Erik and Lyle spent around $700,000 in the few weeks after the murders.
Hotels, room service, expensive restaurants – if you name it, they probably bought it.
Things that appear unclear
There were some things I could not find in my research, but that does not mean the answer is not out there. Below is what stumped me:
- What really happened to Jose Menendez’s will?
- What all did the brothers do after the murders?
- Did Lyle threaten Dr. Ozeil?
My Thoughts on “monsters”
Clearly, this is not every piece of information that was true or false in the show, but this list is a compilation of some of the most controversial points. My own opinion is that Ryan Murphy included these controversial points on purpose. By doing this, more people are watching and talking about the show, gaining publicity for both the brothers and himself. These topics of controversy are points that were made in the actual case, meaning Murphy was using the beliefs of real people to dramatize the show.
While the series may have included fantastic actors and cinematic scenes, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” shows even further that not everything seen on TV is true, even if it claims to be.