Current:Home > FinanceErik Menendez's Attorney Speaks Out on Ryan Murphy's Monsters Show -FundSphere
Erik Menendez's Attorney Speaks Out on Ryan Murphy's Monsters Show
View
Date:2025-04-24 12:13:31
Erik Menendez’s longtime attorney is speaking out amid the success of Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix drama.
While Leslie Abramson—who represented Erik in the 1990s when he and his brother, Lyle Menendez, were tried for the 1989 murder of their parents—is depicted as one of the brothers’ most staunch defenders in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the retired defense attorney revealed she had no desire to watch the series.
“That piece of s--t I heard about? No,” she said in a video published by Entertainment Tonight Oct. 9. “I don’t watch any of those.”
“I will make no comments about my client,” she added. “None whatsoever.”
The 81-year-old—who is played by Ari Graynor in the anthology series—said she also opted not to watch the previous dramatization of the case, 2017’s Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders, in which she’s portrayed by Edie Falco. (The actress later received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for the role.)
Leslie did, however, give a written statement about the brothers—who are both serving life sentences without parole—in the new documentary The Menendez Brothers, also streaming on Netflix.
“30 years is a long time,” she said in an email shown in the doc. “I’d like to leave the past in the past. No amount of media, nor teenage petitions will alter the fate of these clients. Only the court can do that and they have ruled.”
The release of Monsters helped fuel renewed interest in the brothers’ case, as social media users have called for their convictions to be overturned. Most recently, they’ve zeroed in on the emergence of potential new evidence which could support the brothers’ allegation of physical and sexual abuse by their father, José Menendez.
Kim Kardashian, who visited the Menendezes at their San Diego prison in September, wrote in an essay published by NBC News that the brothers deserve a new trial.
“I have spent time with Lyle and Erik; they are not monsters,” the Kardashians star said in the op-ed. “They are kind, intelligent, and honest men.”
“I don’t believe that spending their entire natural lives incarcerated was the right punishment for this complex case,” she added. “Had this crime been committed and trialed today, I believe the outcome would have been dramatically different.”
Cooper Koch, who played the role of Erik in Monsters and accompanied Kim on her visit, also spoke out in support of the brothers.
“They committed the crime when they were 18 and 21 years old,” he told Variety last month, “and at the time, it was really hard for people to believe that male-on-male sexual abuse could occur, especially with father and son.”
He continued, “I really do hope that they are able to get paroled and have an amazing rest of their lives.”
E! News has reached out to lawyers for Erik and Lyle Menendez for comment but hasn’t heard back.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (5166)
Related
- Matt Damon remembers pal Robin Williams: 'He was a very deep, deep river'
- What’s the firearms form at the center of Hunter Biden’s gun trial? AP Explains
- US cricket stuns Pakistan in a thrilling 'super over' match, nabs second tournament victory
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress on July 24
- Kehlani Responds to Hurtful Accusation She’s in a Cult
- Ghost Army survivor reflects on WWII deception operation: We were good
- North Carolina House speaker says university athletics scheduling bill isn’t going further
- Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg honor 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Michigan man from viral court hearing 'never had a license,' judge says. A timeline of the case
Ranking
- The 'Rebel Ridge' trailer is here: Get an exclusive first look at Netflix movie
- Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White Says Goodbye to Pat Sajak in Emotional Message
- James Beard finalists include an East African restaurant in Detroit and Seattle pho shops
- Russia is expected to begin naval, air exercises in Caribbean, U.S. official says
- Audit: California risked millions in homelessness funds due to poor anti-fraud protections
- Virginia authorities search for woman wanted in deaths of her 3 roommates
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress on July 24
- Oklahoma softball sweeps Texas in WCWS finals to capture fourth straight national title
Recommendation
Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
Maps show how Tornado Alley has shifted in the U.S.
New York governor pushes for tax increase after nixing toll program in Manhattan
Judge dismisses attempted murder and other charges in state case against Paul Pelosi’s attacker
Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
A Texas county removed 17 books from its libraries. An appeals court says eight must be returned.
MLB Misery Index: White Sox manager Pedro Grifol on the hot seat for MLB's worst team
Scott Disick and Kourtney Kardashian’s Teen Son Mason Is All Grown Up While Graduating Middle School