Incest in “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” is not true: trial expert

After strong reactions to the portrayal of Erik and Lyle Menendez in Netflix’s Monster: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, An expert comments on the case.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter following the release of Ryan Murphy’s latest album on September 19th Monster Robert Rand has clarified the differences between the show and reality. As the author of 2018 The Menendez Murders Rand said in his book that the show contained several untruths.

“I don't think Erik and Lyle Menendez were ever lovers,” he said. “I think that's a fantasy that Dominick Dunne had in his head. [the reporter in the series portrayed by Nathan Lane].”

“During the trial, rumors circulated that there may have been a strange relationship between Erik and Lyle himself, but I believe that the only physical contact they may have had is what Lyle testified, which was that when he was 8 years old, he took Erik into the woods and played with him with a toothbrush – which [their father] José was done with him,” he continued.

He added: “I certainly wouldn't describe this as a sexual relationship of any kind. It's a reaction to trauma.”

Representatives for Murphy and Netflix did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

In the nine-episode limited series, Erik and Lyle are seen kissing in episode 2, and their mother finds them taking a shower together in episode 6. The brothers testified in their trial that they had never had a sexual relationship with each other.

Erik released a statement after the premiere harshly criticizing the series, which was also posted on Lyle's social media channels.

“I believed we had moved beyond the lies and the devastating character portrayals of Lyle and created a caricature of Lyle based on horrific and blatant [lies] “I can only believe that they were done on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I must say that I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be so naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives that he does this without malicious intent.”

“It saddens me to know that Netflix, with its dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime, has pushed the painful truths back several steps – back to a time when prosecutors built a narrative on the belief system that men were not sexually assaulted and that men experienced rape trauma differently than women,” Erik continued. “These horrific lies have been refuted and exposed over the past two decades by countless brave victims who have overcome their personal shame and bravely spoken out about it. And now Murphy is shaping his horrific narrative through vile and horrifying character portrayals of Lyle and me and disheartening slanders.”

“Is the truth not enough? Then let the truth be truth,” he concluded. “How demoralizing it is to know that one man with power can undo decades of progress in the education of childhood trauma.”

Lyle and Erik, then 21 and 18, killed their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, with 12-gauge shotguns in their Beverly Hills home in 1989, claiming they were acting in self-defense. They were later prosecuted and accused of doing it because of their family's $14 million-plus fortune, but the brothers insisted it was because of psychological, physical and sexual abuse that had taken place.

“I'm not saying what I did was right or justified. I had to go to jail. But bring another child into my life and see what happens,” Erik told PEOPLE in 2005. “I felt like it was either my life or my parents' lives on the line. … Getting arrested was a huge relief. My life was over and I was happy about it. I didn't want the money.”

Although many criticized the series for its misrepresentations, others defended the project, including the brother of Cooper Koch, who plays Erik in the series.

“I'm not speaking for Cooper, but I will say that he cares deeply about the boys and stands with them, as well as all victims of abuse,” Payton wrote on Instagram on Sept. 20. “He has gone above and beyond to make sure their stories of abuse are seen on screen, and I think it's abundantly clear in Episode 5 where he stands.”

Payton is a film editor and has worked on the following projects: Only murders in the buildingadded that actors are “just vessels for the writers/producers of the show. Any portrayal of the true story will be difficult, but please believe me when I say he cares about her and her story ❤️‍🩹.”

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Monster: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez is now streaming on Netflix.