The recently-released second season of Netflix’s Monsters, encapsulating the spine-chilling story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, has sparked a huge controversy due to its contentious subject matter. Viewers have raised concerns about the supposedly incorrect portrayal of the Menendez brothers’ story. One of the opposing voices is Robert Rand, the author responsible for composing The Menendez Murders, the definitive novel regarding the siblings’ crime. Recently, he disclosed that the suggested incestuous relationship showcased between Lyle and Erik Menendez in the show is completely false.
Robert Rand thinks Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’s incest was fiction
The acclaimed novelist stated that the brotherly dynamic depicted in the series actually mirrors the thought process of those who witnessed the case.
Robert Rand shed light upon the Netflix show’s irregularities while talking to The Hollywood Reporter. During the conversation, The Menendez Murders writer explained the notion people had about the siblings during the trial.
“I don’t believe that Erik and Lyle Menendez were ever lovers. I think that’s a fantasy that was in the mind of Dominick Dunne”, Rand said. “Rumors were going around the trial that maybe there was some sort of weird relationship between Erik and Lyle themselves.”
The trial expert then clarified his stance on the relationship shared between Erik and Lyle Menendez.
“I believe the only physical contact they might have had is what Lyle testified, that when Lyle was eight years old, he took Erik out in the woods and played with him with a toothbrush — which is what [their father] Jose had done with him,” Rand stated. “And so I certainly wouldn’t call that a sexual relationship of any sort. It’s a response to trauma.”
Interestingly, Netflix’s Monsters Season 2 presents multiple scenes that hint at a much more twisted relationship between the Menendez duo. The two share physically intimate moments in several sequences, including a scene in Episode 6 where the brothers are seen showering together.
Erik Menendez also slammed the documentary series for telling “awful lies” about his and Lyle’s lives. Moreover, the Donovan Correctional Facility resident expressed disappointment in showrunner Ryan Murphy for his naive approach to the brothers’ story.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story premiered all its episodes on September 19 and is now available for streaming on Netflix.
