Menendez Brothers Join New Netflix Documentary After Bashing ‘Monsters’

Netflix is set to unveil a gripping new documentary on the Menendez Brothers next month, featuring real-life accounts from Erik and Lyle Menendez themselves.

For the first time in nearly 30 years, Erik and Lyle Menendez, in their own words, revisit the trial that stunned the nation. They share their story together from the Donovan Correctional Facility in California.

“Everyone asks why we killed our parents,” one of the brothers interjects as The Menendez Brothers trailer begins. “Maybe now people can understand the truth.”

Lyle, then 21, and Erik, then 18, admitted to fatally shooting their parents but claimed they acted out of fear their father, who had sexually abused Erik for years, was about to kill them to keep the abuse a secret.

Initially, the brothers blamed the mob due to their father’s connections as a high profile entertainment executive, but the brutal nature of the crime suggested a more personal and emotionally driven motive.

In the first Menendez brothers’ trial, which began in 1993, Lyle and Erik Menendez were charged with the 1989 murders of their parents. The trial ended with two deadlocked juries, unable to agree on whether the brothers were guilty of murder or acted out of fear. This led to a mistrial and set the stage for a second trial in 1995.

Unlike the first trial, where claims of sexual abuse were central, the judge in the second trial significantly limited the defense’s use of the abuse allegations.

The jury convicted both Lyle and Erik Menendez of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“What emerges may not answer the many questions that still surround the case, but it does offer another perspective — that of the brothers themselves, provided in all-new audio interviews,” Netflix website reads.

The new documentary, The Menendez Brothers, will include interviews with Erik and Lyle Menendez, alongside fresh insights from their cousin Diane Vander Molen who testified in trial one and prosecutor Pamela Bozanich.

The Menendez Brothers, directed by Alejandro Hartmann, will explore decades of evidence surrounding the crime and the trial that followed.

Unlike Murphy’s drama, which delves into the brothers’ tumultuous relationship and the events leading up to their parents’ murders, Hartmann’s documentary aims to provide a comprehensive look at the case’s complexities.

Newsweek reached out to Hartmann, however, he has not yet responded.

The Menendez Brothers premieres on Netflix on October 7.

This follows the latest installment of the Netflix series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, created by Ryan Murphy. The series premiered on September 19, generating buzz and facing intense scrutiny.

Erik Menendez expressed sadness over Netflix’s “dishonest portrayal” of the tragedies surrounding the brothers’ crime.

“I can only believe they were done on purpose. 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,” Erik Menendez wrote, as shared by his family via X and Facebook. “Murphy shapes his horrible narrative through vile and appalling character portrayals of Lyle and me, and disheartening slander.”

Ryan Murphy Fires Back

Murphy responded and defended his project after Erik Menendez’s criticism.

While attending the red carpet premiere of another one of his shows on Monday, Murphy told Entertainment Tonight it’s difficult to see one’s life portrayed on the big screen, emphasizing it must be especially challenging for the Menendez brothers.

However, he also said it’s interesting Erik Menendez issued a statement without having seen the show at all.

“The thing that I find interesting that [Erik] doesn’t mention in his quote is, if you watch the show, I would say 60 to 65 percent of our show in the scripts, and in the film form, center around the abuse and what they claim happened to them,” Murphy said.

Murphy said he aimed to handle the topic thoughtfully.

“In this age, where people can really talk about sexual abuse, talking about it and writing about it and writing about all points of view can be controversial,” Murphy added.

When directly questioned about the show’s suggestion of a sexual relationship between the brothers, Murphy replied, “If you watch the show, it presents the viewpoints and theories from many individuals involved in the case. Dominick Dunne wrote several articles discussing that theory, and we are sharing his perspective alongside Leslie Abramson’s. We felt it was essential to include all of that, and we did.”

The Netflix series spotlights allegations of incest between the brothers, depicting a scene where a drug-fueled Lyle kisses Erik after they inherit their parents’ fortune.

In the following episodes, it’s suggested Lyle was first sexually abused by their father, José Menendez, and then, as a result of the abuse, Lyle began assaulting Erik in the same way—implying Erik suffered abuse from both his father and brother.

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