The cast of “Monsters” reacts to incest scenes with homoerotic brothers

The actors behind Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy's “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” have responded to criticism regarding the series' suggestion of an incestuous relationship between brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez. In one scene in the series, for example, the two brothers can be seen showering together.

On the question of “homoeroticism” Lyle actor Nicholas Chavez, who tackles the question of the brothers' relationship in the series, wanted to let the project speak for itself, saying: “It's a really interesting question and we've discussed it quite a bit as part of this project, but ultimately it's a question best left to Ryan and the creators of the show.”

Series co-creator Ryan Murphy had previously defended the portrayal of the brothers' relationship, saying it came from a “point of view” that emerged during the televised murder trial of the Menendez siblings.

“When you watch the show, it presents the viewpoints and theories of so many people who were involved in the case,” Murphy said. “Dominick Dunne [the Vanity Fair journalist played by Nathan Lane] has written several articles on this theory. We present his point of view. And we were obliged to show all of this, and that is what we did.”

Nathan Lane, who plays Dunne in “Monsters,” said that while he is not active on social media and has not seen the discussion there, he has “heard through the grapevine that it has caused quite a stir.”

“There's a dinner party scene at the Chateau Marmont, and Dominick discusses various theories about what he thinks happened to the brothers,” he said. “At one point, that scene was originally 20 pages long, and I talked about it a lot more. At one point he says, 'Maybe this is what happened,' and suggests that there was an incestuous relationship between the two brothers, but that this had nothing to do with it [their father] José, and that is it, [their mother] Kitty knew about it. But he's just putting forward a theory. He's not saying that's how it happened. He's saying that's another reason why they might have killed her. But he's just putting forward another theory. I think we need to remind people that this is a dramatization, not a documentary. As Ryan said, they've shown all sorts of points of view on this case, and of course Eric and Lyle talk about their sexual abuse by their father. So I think you get many, many different opinions and points of view on what happened. Ultimately, they're the only ones who know exactly what happened. But I just think the show is extremely well written and wonderfully acted by everyone.”

Cooper Koch, who plays Erik Menendez, is not surprised that allegations that the siblings had a sexual relationship were dismissed.

“I knew this was a very controversial story and that people would be upset and affected by what they saw,” Koch said. “I think, though, you have to put it in the context of the situation and that we're painting a picture based on another person's perspective. It's not necessarily the truth of what happened. That's just what Dominick Dunne thinks, and I think there are other places in the story where it's set up so that people get all these different perspectives, and you know.”

He continued, “I think the goal of the show is to bring all of these perspectives together and make the audience the jury. And at the end of the show, you just make your decision about what you believe. And I think it's a really interesting way of telling the story and telling stories in general.”

Koch said he “absolutely does not” believe the brothers had an incestuous relationship. “I don't believe that's true,” he said. “And I don't think the show intended to expose that truth. I believe that was just a theory that one person had and that was put into the show because that person was a character on the show… I stand behind Eric and everything he says in his statement is, in my opinion, the truth and I believe him.”

Chloë Sevigny, who plays the Menendez family matriarch Kitty in the series, has a key scene in which she catches her sons in the shower together. When asked about the homoeroticism in the series, she emphasized how committed the actors are to executing the writers' vision.

“I think all the creators and showrunners wanted, first and foremost, for Nicholas and Cooper to be comfortable and not do anything they didn't want to do,” she said. “There were always people there to protect them on set. And I said, 'So should I join in off camera? Should I not? Is it better for you guys if I'm there or not?' Everything was done to make sure they felt safe and protected, with intimacy coaches and so on. They were allowed to cut and walk away if they wanted to, and these guys were so committed to their roles and the way Ian and Ryan wanted to tell the story that they were willing to do almost anything themselves. It was really amazing to watch them and see how much they immersed themselves in the characters and the story. I just felt like I was there to support them.”

Monsters has proven to be quite controversial since its release on Netflix in early September, even drawing criticism from Erik Menendez himself. In an official statement released via his wife Tammi Menendez's X-account, Erik, who is currently serving a life sentence in San Diego, wrote: “I thought we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayal of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle based on horrific and obvious lies that are rampant on the show. I can only believe this was 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 to do this without malicious intent.”

“Monsters” tells the story of the Menendez brothers, who murdered their parents in 1989. The pair became a tabloid sensation in the early 1990s after their criminal trial was broadcast nationally. After a tumultuous and ultimately traumatic journey through the criminal justice system, Erik and Lyle Menendez were found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on July 2, 1996.