Erik Menéndez and Lyle Menéndez have built a large group of supporters after their infamous murder trial — and some of the people in their corner include high-profile celebrities.
Erik and Lyle were originally arrested in 1990 on two counts of first-degree murder after their parents, José and Kitty Menéndez, were found dead in their own Beverly Hills home. Two subsequent trials resulted in Erik and Lyle’s conviction and a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The brothers, meanwhile, have maintained that their mother and father were physically, emotionally and sexually abusive and that their actions were that of self-defense.
The murder case has since gained renewed attention after the release of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series Monsters, which provided a dramatized new look at the high-profile murder case. In the series, Nicholas Alexander Chavez portrayed Lyle while Cooper Koch played a dramatized version of Erik. José and Kitty, meanwhile, were portrayed by Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny, respectively.
Koch has remained an outspoken advocate for Erik and Lyle’s release.
“They’ve done so much amazing work in prison. Erik teaches meditation. He teaches speech classes. They’re both incredible people,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in September 2024. “I think back then, people just didn’t believe that sexual abuse between males was something that you could believe and the easier pill to swallow was that they killed their parents for money. But now, after so much time, I think people are more open to understanding that something like that did happen.”
Not everyone has been as willing to publicly side with the brothers. Koch’s costar Chavez explained why he chose to take a step back from the case, telling Vanity Fair one month later, “A big part of being an artist, at least in my view, is having the grace to go into a character or go into a role and then also release it when you’re done with it. I think a big part of the next phase of my artistry is recognizing when it’s time to release the role.”
He continued: “I came to a really unique conclusion, but I’ve also come to the conclusion that I don’t really want to share what that is with anyone, and that I really want to keep that part of my artistry and my interpretation to myself.”
One month after the release of Monsters, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón announced that a new hearing was set due to new evidence in Lyle and Erik’s murder case. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office recommended in October 2024 that Erik and Lyle’s sentence be reduced. Other celebrities, such as Sunny Hostin and Kim Kardashian, have continued to publicly show their support as the brothers await news on their future:
Sunny Hostin
Hostin reflected on the high-profile murder case after previously serving as the Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office.
“Imagine as a child living in your parents’ home, being abused from the age of six through 18,” Hostin said on The View in October 2024. “You can be abused in your bedroom, you can be abused in the bathroom. You can be abused anywhere in your home, where you should feel safe.”
Hostin recalled prosecuting a variety of criminal cases, including sexual assault and domestic violence cases.
“Rapes remains the most underreported crime in our country, at about 3 percent for women,” Hostin continued. “Imagine the number of men and boys that are raped and that go unreported. And so in 1997 we were behind, and I have seen a sea change of people now realizing that when you are sexually abused by someone you trust who is supposed to protect you, like a parent, that type of trauma is something that is very difficult.”
Rosie O’Donnell
O’Donnell first connected with Lyle when she publicly supported them on Larry King Live in 1996. The eldest Menéndez brother wrote her a letter at the time.
“It basically said, ‘I know you know. And I hope we can connect,’” O’Donnell recalled in a June 2023 TikTok video. She didn’t reply out of fear and because she “wasn’t ready to touch the subject.”
O’Donnell revisited the subject after watching Peacock’s documentary series Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed where former boy band member Roy Roselló accused José of drugging and assaulting him. Shortly after, she visited Erik and Lyle Menendez at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility and went on to form a friendship with them.
“I saw Lyle and gave him a hug,” she told Variety in October 2024. “Then Erik came over to me, hugged me, and whispered in my ear, ‘Thank you for loving my brother.’ It was very, very moving to me.”
O’Donnell has maintained a close friendship with Lyle, Erik and their loved ones.
“We talk a lot,” she continued. “I told them I would do what I could with whatever dwindling fame I have to bring light to their story.”
Kim Kardashian
The reality star, who has been an advocate for prison reform, visited the Menéndez brothers at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility days after Murphy’s series Monsters was released. Kardashian went on to write a personal essay advocating for their release.
“I have spent time with Lyle and Erik; they are not monsters. They are kind, intelligent, and honest men. In prison, they both have exemplary disciplinary records,” she wrote for NBC News in October 2024. “They have earned multiple college degrees, worked as caregivers for elderly incarcerated individuals in hospice, and been mentors in college programs — committed to giving back to others. When I visited the prison three weeks ago, one of the wardens told me he would feel comfortable having them as neighbors.”
Kardashian continued: “I don’t believe that spending their entire natural lives incarcerated was the right punishment for this complex case. Had this crime been committed and tried today, I believe the outcome would have been dramatically different.”
Erik and Lyle were granted a new hearing for their case that same month, after the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office cited new evidence indicating that their father allegedly molested them.
Cooper Koch
Koch has been outspoken about his bond with both Lyle and Erik after playing the younger Menéndez brother in Monsters. The actor has since revealed his support for the brothers, which he says he gave years before he took on the role. Koch has also waved off potential backlash after publicly saying he believes the Menéndez brothers.
“I feel really calm. And I know where I stand. I know what my point of view is, and that point of view aligns with all of the people on TikTok who support them,” he told Vanity Fair in October 2024. “I know that I did everything that I could to support them and advocate for them in my performance, and portray them as authentically as possible. And if people are criticizing it, I know that I did everything I could.”
Gypsy Rose Blanchard
After being arrested for the murder of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, Gypsy served seven years in prison. Dee Dee was found dead at age 48 in her Missouri home with multiple stab wounds in June 2015. Gypsy, who was released from prison in December 2023, previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. She was granted parole in September 2023 before being released.
Gypsy used her experience behind bars to offer some advice to Erik and Lyle.
“It’s very difficult to come out to a world that has changed so much even in the time that I spent [in prison] … I would say take your time, you know, adjust properly,” Blanchard told TMZ in October 2024. “And get therapy because you need it in this kind of world [and] day and age.”
Blanchard, who admitted she was “not very educated” in the Menéndez case, added: “I’m an advocate for abuse victims in general and I’m all about prison reform so … if the case is being reviewed, then hopefully something can be done. Abuse victims need to be advocated for more.”
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