Key Takeaways:
* Netflix‘s Monsters, a show that portrays Erik and Lyle Menendez’s infamous crimes, has received heavy criticism.
* Actor Cooper Koch, who plays Erik Menendez in the series, recently visited the brothers in prison.
* The Menéndez Brothers claim the Netflix series doesn’t adequately represent their reality.
* Koch, who is supportive of the brothers, has criticized the show’s portrayal of them.
Cooper Koch Joins Kim Kardashian for Prison Visit
There’s been some buzz around the real-life encounter between Cooper Koch, the actor who brought Erik Menéndez to life in Netflix’s series Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menéndez Story, and Erik himself. Koch made a trip to the correctional facility where the two Menéndez Brothers are housed, as a part of a prison reform mission spearheaded by Kim Kardashian.
The Netflix series has been a subject of controversy due to what critics believe to be a sensationalized representation of the Menéndez Brothers and the gruesome crimes they were found guilty of committing.
Menéndez Brothers Speak on “Monsters”
Adding fuel to the controversy, the brothers themselves took umbrage against the Netflix series. They called out creator Ryan Murphy for allegedly fabricating and over-dramatizing certain aspects of their history. They were particularly upset that the show seemed to sideline their defense of the crime – that they were victims of years of abuse by their parents.
Koch’s Counter-narrative
Cooper Koch, who joined Kim K on her prison reform initiative, had a chance to interact with the Menéndez Brothers in person. Post-visit, he voiced his support for the brothers and lauded their efforts in prison. He is quoted as saying, “They’re such amazing people. They’ve done so much good in prison. They just graduated from UC Irvine. They are doing this Green Space Project. As I said, Eric teaches meditation and speech classes… They’re very involved and they’re really wonderful people.”
Interestingly, Koch also noted that he stands with the Menéndez Brothers’ own recounting of their story and seemed to dismiss some storyline tangents that the Monsters series explored in depth.
The Menéndez Brothers’ Traumatic Backstory
Notorious for slaying their parents Jose and Kitty Menéndez in 1989, Erik and Lyle Menéndez were subsequently slapped with life sentences without parole. The case that ensnared public opinion revolved around their claim that they killed their parents in response to prolonged physical and psychological abuse. This, they maintain, was a story that hasn’t been authentically portrayed by the Netflix series.
Since then, their lives and trial have become an enduring topic for crime buffs, with multiple video story-tellings making their rounds in pop culture.
Criticism of Ryan Murphy’s Work
Ryan Murphy, the creator of Netflix’s controversial series, has faced the wrath of not just the brothers but their family members too. Murphy has been slammed for his reliance on the Dominic Dunne Theory, and this portrayal seems to have rubbed the Menéndez Brothers and their kin in the wrong way.
Despite the controversy, Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menéndez Story continues to hold viewers’ attention and is currently available to stream on Netflix. Whether you believe the Menéndez Brothers’ version of the story or Netflix’s dramatized portrayal of their lives, it can’t be denied that the series has kicked up a storm that keeps on brewing.
