The Menendez family calls the Netflix series “Monsters” disgusting and full of falsehoods

Erik Menendez's wife, Tammi, posted a scathing review of the Netflix series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” on behalf of the brothers' aunt, Joan VanderMolen, and the rest of their extended family, Tammi explained in the caption. The family's statement calls “Monsters” “a phobic, gross, anachronistic, episodic serial nightmare that is not only full of falsehoods and outright untruths, but also ignores recent exculpatory revelations.”

“We are virtually the entire extended family of Erik and Lyle Menéndez,” the statement said. “We are 24 members and today we want the world to know that we support Erik and Lyle. We pray individually and together for their release after 35 years in prison. We know them, love them and want them to be in our home.”

The family's statement said that relatives of the Menendez brothers “fell victim to this grotesque shock drama,” adding: “Murphy claims he spent years researching the case but ultimately zeroed in on the exposed Dominick Dunne, the pro-prosecutor, left to justify his slander against us and never spoke to us.”

Dominick Dunne was a reporter for Vanity Fair who covered the Menendez trial in the 1990s. He is played by Nathan Lane in “Monsters,” which dramatizes the 1989 murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez by their sons Lyle and Erik and the subsequent trials that ended with their conviction in 1996. One of Dunne's more controversial theories is presented in “Monsters” and claims that Erik and Lyle had an incestuous relationship. One scene in the series shows the brothers showering together.

“The character assassination of Erik and Lyle, our nephews and cousins, under the guise of 'storytelling' is disgusting,” the family's statement said. “We know these men. We grew up with them since they were boys. We love them and are close to them to this day. We also know what went on in their home and the unimaginably turbulent life they went through. Some of us were eyewitnesses to many atrocities that should never be witnessed.”

“It is sad that Ryan Murphy, Netflix and everyone else involved in this series have no understanding of the impact of years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse.” The statement ends. “Maybe 'Monsters' is all about Ryan Murphy after all.”

Shortly after “Monsters” made its streaming debut on Netflix, Tammi released a statement from Erik Menendez criticizing the show and saying Murphy was “naive and inaccurate” in his portrayal of the brothers. Murphy responded by telling Entertainment Tonight, “It's interesting that he made a statement without having seen the show.”

“What I find interesting that he doesn't mention in his quote is, if you look at the show, I would say 60 to 65 percent of our show, in the scripts and in the film form, is about the abuse and the allegations. “That's what happened to them,” Murphy said. “And we do it very carefully and we give them time in court and they talk openly about it.”

Cooper Koch, the actor who plays Erik in the Netflix series, visited the Menendez brothers in prison after the real Erik criticized the series. said Koch in an interview with diversity that he told Eric that “it makes sense that you would feel that way.”

“I can't imagine what it would be like if the worst part of your life, such a traumatic and tragic thing, was televised for millions of people to see in a dramatized Hollywood TV manner,” Koch said. “I just said, 'I understand, I understand, and I'm on your side.'”

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