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Ari Graynor has tears in her eyes. We had been scheduled to speak this afternoon, Oct. 24, about her role in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the Netflix miniseries that has helped reignite public fascination with the 1989 murder case in which the two brothers, 18 and 21 at the time, shot their parents to death in the family’s Beverly Hills mansion. Coincidentally, our Zoom chat is now happening at the exact moment Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón is giving a press conference in which he’ll recommend a resentencing for Erik and Lyle Menendez,...

The Menendez brothers’ case, where Joseph “Lyle” Menendez and “Erik” Galen Menendez were convicted of killing their parents José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, may have started back in 1989, but exclusive live-action documentaries and series based on those incidents are bringing all those heinous crimes committed back then into the limelight once again.

In the early 1990s, less than half a year after the Menendez parents were savagely murdered by shotguns purchased by the brothers, both Erik and Lyle were arrested. Their second trial in 1995 had them eventually convicted on two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances for lying in wait, as well as conspiracy to murder.

Erik and Lyle. | Credits: Orsf / Cca by Sa 4.0 /Wikimedia Commons.

Additionally, the penalty phase of the trial had them sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, to be served as consecutive sentences for the killings and the charges of...

Joey King, Kate Winslet, and Kerry Washington were among the stars celebrated with special awards at the 2024 Wif Honors event!

The star-studded evening, themed “The Power of the Collective,” took place on Thursday night (October 24) at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

The event is an annual benefit supporting Wif’s educational and philanthropic programs, and its advocacy for gender parity in entertainment. Other honorees at the event included Annette Bening, Michelle Buteau, Danielle Sanchez-Witzel and Ellen Kuras and some of the presenters included Jane Fonda, Marion Cotillard, Janelle James, and more.

While heading up to the stage, Joey had a minor wardrobe malfunction and adorably played it off. Make sure to check out the hilarious video!

Other stars in attendance included Quinta Brunson, Jurnee Smollett, Lili Reinhart, and Lake Bell. We have a full list of the stars below!

Head inside to see all of the stars in attendance…...

The 2024 Wif Honors were held Thursday, October 24 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. Founded in 1973 as Women In Film Los Angeles, Wif advocates for and advances the careers of women working in the screen industries to achieve parity and transform culture. Gold Derby associate editor Latasha Ford was on the red carpet to chat with honorees and invited guests as they headed into the event. Watch the each person’s interview by clicking on their name below.

Kate Winslet

Ellen Kuras

Kerry Washington

Joey King

Sherry Cola

Ari Graynor (star of “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”)

Rachael Harris (star of “Mother of the Bride” and “Unfrosted”)

Emayatzy Corinealdi (star of “Reasonable Doubt”)

Natasha Ofili (first Black Deaf playable character in Marvel’s “Spider-Man 2” video game)

Sharon Lawrence

Annette Bening received the Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award for her philanthropic work with Planned Parenthood and breast cancer research,...

Ryan Murphy insists that he and his “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” co-creator Ian Brennan never imagined the Netflix series would be a major catalyst for renewed interest in the case and calls for the real Erik and Lyle Menendez to be released from prison.

“Ian and I are in absolute amazement and shock that this has happened, to be quite honest,” Murphy told me Thursday afternoon. “When we were writing the ‘Menendez Story’ — we’ve been working on this for two years — nobody was talking about the Menendez brothers. We never thought anybody ever would again.”

The siblings were conviced and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1996 for the first-degree murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989.

But as fans of the show and followers of the brothers’ cases know, a court hearing has been set for November as Los...

This installment of Ryan Murphy’s Monsters dramatizes the 1989 murder of José and Kitty Menendez.

Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of their parents’ murders in 1996. The brothers, currently serving lifetime imprisonment without possibility of parole, maintain their claim presented in court that they killed José and Kitty out of self-defense after years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

Over nine episodes, Lyle, played by Nicholas Chavez, and Erik, played by Cooper Koch, are portrayed through constantly shifting lenses and theories concerning the murders; the audience is volleyed back and forth between compassion and doubt. The show wants us to ask questions: Are the boys victims of abuse? Are they sociopaths? Did they kill out of self-defense? For money? To protect darker family secrets? The show has sparked particular controversy for implicating an incestuous relationship between the brothers.

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Who is Ari Graynor? Everything to Know About the Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story Star - Main Image

Ari Graynor became one of the standouts of the hit Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story thanks to her wonderful performance as Leslie Abramson, the Menendez brothers' defense attorney.

After watching the series and witnessing her impressive talent, you might want to learn more about the actress and find out which other films and TV series she has starred in.

Who is Ari Graynor?

Before starring in the hit Netflix series, Graynor starred in several films and TV series in both lead and supporting roles.

The most notable project that she starred in was when she played Cassie Feder in the Showtime series I'm Dying Up Here which ran for two seasons. She also co-starred in Cate Blanchett's limited series Mrs. America.

She also played Cameron Diaz...

Update 10/8/24: This post has been updated with details from Netflix’s “The Menendez Brothers” and Peacock’s “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed.”

It’s been over 30 years since Erik and Lyle Menendez shot and killed their parents at their Beverly Hills home, but the brothers’ story continues to develop.

The murders initially shocked the country and the world, as did the boys’ claims of abuse and multiple trials. Two recent Netflix titles Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan‘s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” released September 19, and Alejandro Hartmann’s “The Menendez Brothers” documentary, released on October 7.

Hollywood loves a little dramatic embellishment, especially with true crime. Since the Menendez brothers’ first trial was broadcast on Court TV in the 1990s, even the fictionalized version uses verbatim testimony and reenactment of specific moments. There’s only so much actual fact checking that can occur when it comes to the Menendez brothers,...

Ari Graynor didn’t reach out to the real Leslie Abramson while preparing for her role as the legendary defense attorney in Netflix’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”

“I knew that she had made it pretty clear that she never wanted to speak about any of her cases.” Graynor tells Variety. “You’ll notice that in all of the documentaries or programs that have been made, she’s never interviewed. She really took a step back, I think, not only because this case in particular was so painful for her, but she also did not mince words about the media and its effects on things.”

Abramson published a memoir, “The Defense Is Ready: Life in the Trenches of Criminal Law,” in 1997. Now at age 80, she is retired and rarely makes public appearances.

“I feel so deeply connected to her, and feel like I’ve fallen in love with her from afar,...

A new Netflix drama series has renewed widespread discussion of the brutal 1989 murders committed by brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez. The show, titled “Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story,” chronicles the killing of Jose and Kitty Menendez by their sons in graphic detail.

Erik and Lyle Menendez are currently serving life sentences for the murders of their wealthy parents in Beverly Hills, California over 30 years ago. However, they have long claimed they acted in self-defense after suffering years of sexual and emotional abuse by their father. The Netflix series explores this complex case from various perspectives, including those of Erik Menendez, defense attorney Leslie Abramson, and journalist Dominick Dunne, who covered the high-profile trial.

In a letter from prison, Erik Menendez criticized some aspects of the show’s portrayal and said it presented “blatant lies.” However, actors who researched their roles thoroughly believe the Rashomon-style approach succeeds in humanizing...

As the controversy over Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story and its portrayal of the two young men who killed their parents in 1989 has become a back-and-forth between the show’s producer and the people and family whom the series portrays, several members of the cast weighed in to defend the hit Netflix show and explain the perspective shifts that caused Erik Menendez to call it “blatant lies” from behind bars.

At a press gathering in New York last week, Cooper Koch (Erik Menendez), Nicholas Alexander Chavez (Lyle Menendez), Nathan Lane (reporter Dominick Dunne) and Ari Graynor (attorney Leslie Abramson) spoke with The Hollywood Reporter and gave their perspectives on the back-and-forth that has emerged after Erik Menendez’s wife posted a missive from prison condemning how Erik, and particularly Lyle, are depicted in the true-crime drama. Both men are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for...

Viewers tuning into Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story are confused about why Leslie Abramson only represented Erik.

Ari Graynor plays Leslie Abramson, the lead defense attorney for Erik in Monsters. She works as a renowned criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles and is portrayed as a tenacious and aggressive advocate. 

Her defense strategy centered on presenting graphic evidence to substantiate the Menendez brothers' claims of enduring physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents, a key element in their controversial trial.

Read full article on The Direct.

[This story contains mild spoilers to episode five, “The Hurt Man,” in Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story.]

While Netflix true-crime drama Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story arrived to mixed reviews and courted controversy over its portrayal of the of real-life convicted murderers, the limited series about the Menendez brothers has received universal acclaim for its centerpiece bottle episode, which was approached with divergent methods by the two stars who appear in the riveting two-hander.

Monsters’ fifth episode stars Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez and Ari Graynor as defense attorney Leslie Abramson, after the wealthy son of a top L.A. executive was arrested along with his brother for the 1989 murder of their parents. “The Hurt Man” — the episode, written by co-creator Ian Brennan, and named for Erik’s self-appointed nickname — is a single shot, 33-minute slow zoom into Koch’s face as he details the 12 years of sexual, physical and mental abuse he claims drove him to patricide.

“I had a long time with that script,...

If you were around in the 90s then chances are you remember the Menendez Murders. Two brothers murdering their parents in cold blood is something you’d expect to read in the movie headlines yet this was real life in Beverly Hills. Their trial was one of many sensationalized trials at the time, with society being obsessed with Court TV. After Dahmer saw massive success for Netflix, Ryan Murphy decided to take aim at another popular trial (with Ed Gein being the subject for Season 3). And with the details a bit murkier this time around, Murphy takes the approach of having nearly every episode feature a different perspective/theory. This results in the show having a lot of conflicts in what actually happened, in the name of trying to tell all sides to the story. Our TV Critic Alex Maidy didn’t love the show but appreciated the performances.

I...

When Cooper Koch and Nicholas Chavez signed on to be the stars of Ryan Murphy’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” — about the highly publicized parricide case that briefly captured the country’s attention in the early 1990s — they were aware there would likely be backlash. And sure enough, in the past week, the internet has been abuzz with critiques of the show, from journalists to Erik Menendez and the Menendez family calling out the series’ homoerotic portrayal of unsubstantiated fraternal incest and its moves to cast doubt on the brothers’ decades-old claim that years of ritualistic sexual abuse was what led them to murder their parents.

“It’s a bit affirming, actually, that it’s been received in so many different ways — that it has been as controversial as the case itself,” Chavez, who plays Lyle Menendez in the series, told IndieWire. “When this happened, there was...

After spending four episodes unpacking the troubled lives of Lyle and Erik Menendez, Netflix’s “Monsters” undergoes an intense shift in style in its fifth episode.

Titled “The Hurt Man,” the 33-minute installment plays out in a single take as Erik (Cooper Koch) gives a detailed, emotional account of the childhood abuse that he suffered. Erik’s speech comes after he and his brother have been detained for the murder of their parents Jose and Kitty (Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny), during a conversation with his lawyer Leslie Abramson (Ari Graynor).

It’s a striking divergence for the series, bifurcating its nine-episode season with a conspicuously shorter episode that gives Erik an uninterrupted spotlight to articulate the darkness at the heart of the story — but also strands him from the support of his older brother, Lyle (Nicholas Chavez). In her review of the series, Variety TV critic Aramide Tinubu called...

Remarkably, Cooper Koch held back any emotion when Ryan Murphy first told him that he got the part as Erik Menendez in Netflix’s Monsters.

But when Murphy revealed that Koch would have an entire episode to himself that would involve 34 pages of dialogue and one continuous shot, that’s when the actor said he broke down in tears.

“I grew up doing theater and I love plays. The fact that I was getting the opportunity to do a play in television form was just so full circle for me,” Koch tells Deadline. “I was so excited and happy that [my character] was going to get that amount of time to unveil his truth and his perspective and on what happened to him. I just felt so grateful.”

Here, Koch — whose previous experience includes small roles in Power Book II: Ghost and the 2019 TV Movie Less Than Zero — talks about what it...

Before “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” even started shooting, Cooper Koch already had the script for “The Hurt Man” memorized. That’s how vital the Netflix star knew Episode 5 was to Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s drama.

“I read it every day leading up to [filming]. I had this groove for a long time, I read it before I went to bed,” Koch, who plays Erik Menendez, told TheWrap of Episode 5 of the show. “I really tried to get all of those memories to be so real and specific for me, so that when I recounted them, they would evoke an emotional response.”

Unlike the rest of Season 2’s hourlong episodes, “The Hurt Man” clocks in at only 34 minutes. Over the course of one continuous shot, Koch’s Erik details to his attorney Leslie Abrahamson (Ari Graynor) all of the mental, physical and sexual abuse he experienced at...

Ryan Murphy is firing back at criticism for his Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story from the Menendez brothers’ family.

In a new interview, the series creator says he is “used to being controversial” and comments on the general culture.

“I feel like that’s faux outrage,” Murphy told People. “Because if you look at what we do, we give those boys so much airtime to talk about what they claim as their physical abuse. We live in a sort of culture of outrage that a lot of things are knee-jerk, and that’s fine. I’m used to being controversial. It’s not new to me.”

Earlier this week, Erik’s wife, Tammi Menendez, shared a letter written by his aunt, Joan VanderMolen, criticizing the series.

“We are virtually the entire extended family of Erik and Lyle Menendez,” VanderMolen stated in the letter posted on X,...

Following the incredible success of “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan have teamed up to tackle the second installment of their “Monster” anthology series for Netflix, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”

The limited series seeks to discover who the real monsters in the high-profile murder trial were. The Menendez brothers captivated America, as their televised Court TV trial is one of the first of its kind. The two boys killed their parents on Aug. 20, 1989, at only 18 and 21 years old. Their counsel called it self defense, while the prosecution called them greedy. Both were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after two trials.

Murphy assembled established actors like Javier Bardem, Nathan Lane, and Chloë Sevigny to embody the real-life adult characters but brought on some newcomers to portray the Menendez brothers themselves.

Read on to...

Lyle and Erik Menéndez‘s family are questioning who’s the real “monster” following Ryan Murphy‘s recent Netflix portrayal.

On Wednesday, Erik’s wife Tammi Menéndez shared a letter written by his aunt Joan VanderMolen on behalf of 24 extended family members, showing their support for the brothers and criticizing Murphy’s “repulsive” depiction of their 1989 murder of parents José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menéndez in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story.

“We are virtually the entire extended family of Erik and Lyle Menéndez,” VanderMolen started in the letter. “We are 24 strong and today we want the world to know we support Erik and Lyle. We individually and collectively pray for their release after being imprisoned for 35 years. We know them, love them, and want them home with us.

“Ryan Murphy’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story is a phobic, gross, anachronistic, serial episodic nightmare that is...

The full Menendez family is now sharing their thoughts on the Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, accusing co-creator Ryan Murphy of never speaking to the relatives of Erik and Lyle Menendez, the incarcerated brothers who are the subjects of the hit Murphy and Ian Brennan series.

In a searing statement from the 24-person extended Menendez family shared on social media early Thursday morning, Erik and Lyle Menendez’s family members begin their missive by saying that, after the brothers have been imprisoned for more than three decades — for the 1989 murder of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez — they “know them, love them and want them home with us.”

The family then went on to call the true-crime drama a “phobic, gross, anachronistic, serial episodic nightmare that is not only riddled with mistruths and outright falsehoods but ignores the most recent exculpatory revelations.”

Calling Monsters a “grotesque shockadrama,...

Ari Graynor is the Mvp of Ryan Murphy’s “Monsters” Netflix series as Leslie Abramson, the chain-smoking defense lawyer who was vilified at the time for defending the Menendez brothers in the brutal 1989 shotgun killings of their parents.

It’s a great, meaty character for any actress: When Edie Falco played Abramson in 2017’s “Law & Order True Crime,” she was nominated for an Emmy, which could be the next accolade for Graynor.

Viewers naturally want to know more about the real Abramson, who is now 80 and retired, but the former lawyer has rebuffed outreach efforts from the press, including from TheWrap.

The media typecast her as a “raging harpy” for representing the Menendez brothers

“Leslie Abramson was typecast by the media as this foulmouthed, raging harpy, defending these horrible monsters. She was tenacious. She didn’t back down from anybody,” “Law & Order True Crime” showrunner René Balcer told...

Nicholas Alexander Chavez, star of Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story, has said he understands why the real Erik Menendez is unhappy with the hit Netflix series.

Chavez told USA Today that he has “sympathy and empathy” for Menendez, who claimed that Ryan Murphy’s drama is “vile and appalling” in its portrayal of the Menendez’s murder of their parents in August 1989.

“I can only respond with sympathy and empathy in that I can only imagine how difficult it is to have the most traumatic moment of your life put up there on the screen for everyone to see,” said Chavez, who plays Lyle in the nine-part series.

Erik Menendez’s statement about Monsters, shared on social media by his wife Tammi Menendez, was particularly critical of the depiction of Lyle. He said it was “a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show.

Ryan Murphy is defending his Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story after one of its main subjects, Erik Menendez, criticized the project.

“I think it’s interesting that he’s issued a statement without having seen the show,” the co-creator of the Monsters anthology told Entertainment Tonight on Monday. Murphy was speaking while on a New York red carpet for the premiere of another show he’s launching this month, Grotesquerie on FX. “It’s really, really hard, if it’s your life, to see your life up onscreen.”

Since its release last week, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has been capturing the news cycle. The true-crime drama from Murphy and Ian Brennan chronicles the case of real-life brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez. It’s currently the No. 1 show on Netflix in the U.

Ryan Murphy is defending his work on Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, responding to Erik Menendez’s criticism of the series, which he called a “dishonest portrayal.”

“I think that’s interesting because I know he hasn’t watched the show. So I find that curious,” Murphy told E! News in a red carpet interview Monday for Grotesquerie.” “I hope he does watch it. I think if he did watch it he would be incredibly proud of Cooper Koch who plays him.”

“It’s a 35-, 30-year-old case, ” Murphy continues. “We show many, many, many perspectives. That’s what the show does in every episode. You are given a new theory based on people who were either involved or covered the case. Some of the controversy seems to be people thinking for example, that the brothers are having an incestuous relationship. There are people who say that never happened.

Last year, Netflix’s true-crime limited series “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” received 13 Emmy nominations and scored a major win for supporting actress Niecy Nash-Betts. That came after the victories for lead actor Evan Peters at the Golden Globes and Nash-Betts at the Critics Choice Awards. Flash-forward to 2024, and the second installment of the franchise, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” now hopes to follow in the award-winning footsteps of its predecessor.

This project tells the story of how and why Lyle Menendez (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik Menendez (Cooper Koch) killed their parents, José Menendez (Javier Bardem) and Kitty Menendez (Chloë Sevigny), in their affluent Beverly Hills home in 1989. Other main cast members include Ari Graynor as Erik’s lawyer Leslie Abramson and Nathan Lane as journalist Dominick Dunne.

A notable highlight is Episode 5, “The Hurt Man,” which is told in a single 33-minute camera take as an...

The latest installment in Ryan Murphy’s Monster series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, shot immediately to the top of the streamer’s most watched list after its release last week. Yet the true-crime series also swiftly faced criticism over innuendo made in the show that the two convicted murderers had more than a brotherly bond, and developed a sexual relationship.

Backlash against the series — landing just as a new Menendez brothers Netflix docuseries, in which the two participated, was announced — came fast on Friday, the day after the nine-episode fictionalization of the 1989 killing of José and Kitty Menendez and its aftermath premiered on the streamer. First, a wave of comments from the Menendez supporters community, which has grown lately on TikTok and Instagram, flooded social media as viewers took issue with suggestions in Murphy and co-creator Ian Brennan’s script that the brothers were also lovers. Then,...

The Menendez brothers are now getting the documentary treatment on Netflix, with the news coming as their story is currently streaming in scripted form on the streamer.

On Monday, Netflix announced a new documentary titled The Menendez Brothers will hit the streamer on Oct. 7. The project, directed by Argentinian director Alejandro Hartmann (Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta?, The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar) will “offer new insight and a fresh perspective on a case that people only think they know,” per Netflix.

Here is the description: “In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted for the murders of their parents in what became one of the most famous criminal cases of the late 20th century. For the first time in 30 years, and in their own words, both brothers revisit the trial that shocked the nation. Through extensive audio interviews with Lyle and Erik, lawyers involved in the trial, journalists who covered it,...

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the second part of the Monster anthology by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, is available to stream on Netflix. The series revolves around the double murder committed by the titular siblings in a gruesome way. In an act of brutality, they shot their parents in their home in Beverly Hills. Their fate is dictated by a first trial that ends in a mistrial, followed by a second trial three years later that ends with a conviction. The 10 episodes describe the psyche of the brothers and explore the motives behind the crime in a non-chronological manner that presents an alternative perspective emphasizing case complexity. When such a series goes into the cause of the crime, we involuntarily tend to ponder if we have to sympathize with the criminals and let go of the crimes they committed at least for a while. Here too, the...

It's now 1995 in the finale of Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and Oj Simpson's case has reached a verdict. The former NFL player is found not guilty, which sends shockwaves through the nation. After this, the prosecution needs a win, and they desperately want it to be the Menendez case. This adds another layer of difficulty for the brothers as they start their second trial.

Major spoilers for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 9 are below.

Trigger Warning: This episode references child sexual abuse.

Ahead of the second trial, Lyle gets a new lawyer and Leslie is fed up with him. He continues to raise money for himself through his "Lyle Menendez Defense Fund," which Leslie tells him makes the brothers look very bad. Erik and Lyle argue, with Erik understandably very angry that his brother ruined their defense. As they fight, Lyle...

Next up to take the stand in Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is Judalon, who we haven't heard from in a while. And she has a much different take on her relationship with Dr. Oziel than we had previously seen. While Lyle believes her testimony will help them win, Erik isn't sure about anything.

Major spoilers for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 8 are below.

Trigger Warning: This episode references adult and child sexual abuse.

The penultimate episode of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story opens up with Judalon on the stand, where she accuses Dr. Oziel of rape and mistreatment. She has recordings of their conversations that are played, which involve talk of sex and Dr. Oziel agreeing to prescribe her drugs. Judalon seems a bit unstable in her testimony, but the therapist looks much worse.

Judalon remembers Oziel forcing her to...

“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” is asking viewers to be the jury for the Menéndez brothers. The infamous Beverly Hills siblings murdered their parents in 1989, and were convicted in 1996, but today’s more comprehensive understanding of sexual abuse has sparked renewed interest in the case.

“[The show’s] about the consequences of trauma,” Javier Bardem, who plays the father, José, told Variety at the series Los Angeles premiere on Monday. “Unless [it is] properly addressed and healed, it’s going to have a huge, horrible, dramatic effect on generations to come.”

The cast and creatives of the series described its “Rashaman” approach to the story.

“We wanted to really present a lot of different points of view, and then let the audience sort of decide what to take,” writer and producer David McMillan said. “We are talking about real people … many of them are still alive. We want to make sure that our...

Plot: Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story chronicles the case of the real-life brothers convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menéndez. While the prosecution argued they were seeking to inherit their family fortune, the brothers claimed – and remain adamant to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole – that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse

Review: The ever-expanding anthology series credited to super-producer Ryan Murphy continues to expand. Earlier this week, we shared our review for the newest American Story series, American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez. While that series did not have Murphy directly involved as a writer or director, he does boast direct credits alongside longtime collaborator Ian Brennan on the second entry of Monster; this time focused on the tantalizing crimes of Lyle and Erik Menendez. One of several...

Erik Menendez is not very happy with Ryan Murphy‘s latest true-crime anthology series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.

The Netflix show chronicles the case of real-life brothers, Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez.

Erik shared in a statement, which his wife Tammi Menendez posted on social media Thursday night, “I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant likes 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 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...

The reviews are in for Ryan Murphy‘s latest true crime outing, and one critic is certainly not pleased.

After Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story debuted Thursday on Netflix, Erik Menéndez called out the series’ “naive and inaccurate” depiction of his and brother Lyle’s 1989 murder of their parents José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menéndez.

“I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant likes rampant in the show,” said Erik in a statement shared on Lyle’s Facebook page. “I can only believe they were done so 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.

“It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s...

At long last, we've made it to the start of the trial for Erik and Lyle in Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 7, "Showtime." But as we soon learn, one of the brothers is becoming very cocky about their chances of walking free and will do anything he can to persuade the jury — even lie. Will this lead to the brothers' downfall? Lyle is a good actor for now, but it might become apparent that he's faking it.

Major spoilers for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 7 are below.

Trigger Warning: This episode explicitly references child sexual abuse.

We're inching closer to the finish line on Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and episode 7, fortunately, doesn't rely as heavily on flashbacks. Instead, we see the brothers prepare for the trial and the testimonies begin. We also start to understand why the journalist Dominick...

“Monsters” Episode 5, “The Hurt Man,” is dedicated solely to Erik Menendez’s point of view. Sitting in a prison meeting room, talking to his attorney Leslie Abramson (Ari Graynor), Erik (Cooper Koch) recounts “all of that” — everything in his life that led he and his brother, Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez), to murder their parents, José (Javier Bardem) and Kitty Menendez (Chloë Sevigny). And he does. Erik remembers the four different ways his father raped him as an 8 year old. He remembers the childlike names he gave each version — simple, evocative labels like “knees” and “mouth massage.” He remembers the “real torture” of his years spent being sexually, physically, and emotionally abused by his dad: “to still love him.” He remembers how their mother allowed it to happen, even sensing she was jealous of her husband’s obscene relationship with their son. Near the end, Erik remembers when he realized what...

For 35 minutes in the middle of its nine-episode run, Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story does something special.

The fifth chapter, titled “The Hurt Man,” was written by series co-creator Ian Brennan and directed by Michael Uppendahl. It’s a single-shot conversation between Erik Menendez (Cooper Koch) and his attorney Leslie Abramson (Ari Graynor). The camera begins several feet behind Abramson and inches imperceptibly closer to Erik as he recalls his history of sexual abuse at the hands of his tyrannical father, José (Javier Bardem).

It’s a stunt, but the entire show is a stunt, so why quibble? The writing is precise, uncomfortably explicit and haunting. The formal simplicity serves its purpose, building breathless tension and putting a spotlight on Koch, who strips himself emotionally bare. We see the impact that the expurgation of these memories is having on Erik and, because we cannot see Abramson’s face,...

I was hoping for the trial to begin this far into Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story, but episode 5 is a slowed-down, shorter episode I didn't know I needed. The first four episodes are entertaining and engaging, though the tone has been a little too light for the subject matter at times. Episode 5, "The Hurt Man," gives us a painfully vulnerable performance from Cooper Koch who absolutely shines as Erik in the Netflix show. It won't be one you'll forget easily.

Major spoilers for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 5 are below.

Trigger Warning: This episode explicitly references child sexual abuse.

After meeting with Lyle and getting his side of the story, Leslie goes back to meet with her client, Erik. Though this episode is central to the plot, it also feels like a standalone episode in the way it's shot and written. The full 36-minute episode...

The fall television season is officially in full swing, which means there's no more need to complain that there's "nothing good to watch." Beyond Netflix, there are so many new shows hitting the small screen, with the broadcast networks debuting their fall slates, and other streamers getting in on the fun with shows like Agatha All Along, The Penguin, and Frasier.

When it comes to Netflix, this weekend brings a trio of hot new releases that will be reaching the top 10 most popular rankings. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story arrived on Sept. 19 and retells the captivating story of the Menendez brothers' murders of their parents. Netflix also debuted Zack Snyder's animated series Twilight of the Gods and the tear-jerker movie His Three Daughters.

Are you overwhelmed by all the new shows released the past week and can't decide what to watch this weekend? Let us help you...

“Well, if we’re gonna kill our dad, we should probably just kill our mom too.”

In August 1989, siblings Lyle and Erik Menendez purchased shotguns and drove to the Beverly Hills mansion they shared with their parents. They proceeded to fire several bullets through their parents’ hands, stomach and feet before retreating outside to their car to reload. They continued firing at their mother’s face to finish the job, setting off 16 shots between their two parents.

Afterward, they attempted to see a movie at a local theater before dining at a trendy Los Angeles area restaurant where they knew they’d be seen. The product of entertainment wealth and the sons of an immigrant father, the Menendez brothers initially claimed the mafia put a hit out on their family before admitting to murdering their parents after they were arrested.

The new limited series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story...

“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” is an ominous retelling of the infamous crime. Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the second in their “Monster” anthology for Netflix follows brothers Lyle (an incredible Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (an outstanding Cooper Koch). Having endured emotional, physical and sexual abuse — the series argues — at the hands of their father, José (Javier Bardem) and mother, Mary Louise, aka “Kitty” (Chloë Sevigny), the pair murder their parents in cold blood. Chronicling the brothers’ upbringing, the murders and everything thereafter, the series is overlong and exhausting. The show attempts to unpack the circumstances that led to the crime while highlighting Erik and Lyle’s trauma. But in the end, the narrative feels futile and bizarre.

“Menendez” opens in October 1989, two months after Kitty and José’s deaths. Riding in a limo as Kenny G’s “Songbird” plays on the radio, Lyle and...

After a two-year wait since the release of Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Netflix has finally released the second season of Ryan Murphy's true crime anthology series. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story made its premiere on Sept. 19 and delved into another shocking story of murder, but this time, the title of "monster" is under the microscope.

Whenever Murphy releases another season of television, whether it's American Horror/Crime/Sports Story or the upcoming new series Grotesquerie, there's obvious built-in buzz. Everyone wants to see how the prolific producer tackles his next stories, if the full season holds up (because sometimes AHS doesn't), and how much care will be taken in telling true stories.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story will likely be one of the biggest Netflix original series of the year that everyone will be talking about from its release date and beyond. But...

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Get ready for the horrifying true story behind the sensational Menendez brothers case in Season 2 of the biographical true-crime drama series Monster. Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the Netflix series will follow the Menendez brothers just like in the previous season we saw the complete story of Jeffrey Dahmer.

Also Read: 7 Best Shows Like ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ To Watch If You Love the Series

In Season 2 of Monster, we will follow the infamous murder case of José and Kitty Menéndez, who were killed by their sons Lyle and Erik Menendez. While it was a highly publicized case you might not know all the details of the Menendez brothers’ story and this series dives deep into their motives for killing their parents.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story – Episode Guide (When Will the New Episodes Come Out?...

We’re days away from Netflix premiering the new series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and the cast just reunited on the red carpet!

Rising stars Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch were joined by on-screen parents Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny while attending the premiere on Monday night (September 16) at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

More cast members who attended included Nathan Lane, Ari Graynor, Dallas Roberts, Leslie Grossman, Jason Butler Harner, Enrique Murciano, Charlie Hall, and Jade Pettyjohn. They were joined by series creator Ryan Murphy.

Leslie walked the carpet with former American Horror Story co-star Billie Lourd and also in attendance was actress Jess Weixler.

At the premiere, Ryan announced season three of Monster and revealed which actor will star in the upcoming installment!

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story premieres on September 19. Watch the trailer now.

Fyi: Javier is wearing Zegna. Jess is wearing a Bite dress,...

The ten-episode series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (read our review Here) was such a huge success for the Netflix streaming service back in 2022 that Netflix ordered two more seasons of the show from its creators, Ian Brennan and American Horror Story co-creator Ryan Murphy. Last year, it was announced that the second season would be titled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and we’re now just a couple of days away from the premiere date! Monsters is set to start streaming on September 19th… and in the build-up to the season’s premiere, Murphy has gone ahead and revealed that season 3 is going to star Sons of Anarchy‘s Charlie Hunnam as murderer and graverobber Ed Gein.

Variety reports that Murphy made this announcement onstage during a Monsters promotional event in Los Angeles.

Variety also reminds us that Ed Gein, who also hailed from Wisconsin like Dahmer,...

Oh my goodness, I feel like we haven't gotten an exciting week like this in a long time! There's so many new shows to stream this week, Sept. 16 - Sept. 20, 2024. Lots of series' are either debuting, or there's new seasons as well. Some of these include American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez on FX and Hulu, Agatha All Along on Disney+, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix, and so much more. Check out the full list below:

My Brilliant Friend season 4 episode 2 - Sept. 16 on MaxAmerican Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez - Sept. 17 on FX and HuluAgatha All Along - Sept. 18 on Disney+The Circle season 7 - Sept. 18 on NetflixThe Penguin - Sept. 19 on HBO and MaxFrasier season 2 - Sept. 19 on Paramount+A Very Royal Scandal - Sept. 19 on Prime VideoMonsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story - Sept. 19 on NetflixThe Old Man season 2 episode 2 - Sept. 19 on...

Netflix has launched the final trailer for the new series ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.’

Following the massive success of ‘Dahmer’, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime anthology series returns chronicling the case of the real-life brothers who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez.

While the prosecution argued they were seeking to inherit their family fortune, the brothers claimed – and remain adamant to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole – that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents.

The series dives into the historic case that took the world by storm, paved the way for audiences’ modern-day fascination with true crime, and in return asks those audiences: Who are the real monsters?

Javier Bardem (José Menendez), Chloë Sevigny (Mary...

Netflix has released the official trailer for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which will be available on the streaming service on September 19, 2024, at midnight Pt.

Following the massive success of Dahmer, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime anthology series returns on Netflix with Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.

The new series chronicles the case of the real-life brothers who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez.

While the prosecution argued they were seeking to inherit their family fortune, the brothers claimed – and remain adamant to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole – that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story dives into the historic case that took the world by storm...