Monsters star Cooper Koch broke his silence at the 2025 Emmys about Erik and Lyle Menendez being denied their request for parole.
Koch, 29, who is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for his role as Erik, 54, read a message from Lyle, 57, while at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 14.
“He said to me, ‘For so many, what you brilliantly portrayed is their reality. The goal is not accolades. The goal is to bring awareness. We are stronger together. Love you, brother,’” Koch said during an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “It was a year ago that I met them, but we talk every once in a while. Right now — unfortunately — they did not receive parole at their parole hearings, which is very sad.”
He continued: “It’s very common for it to not go your way the first time, and they will have another chance sooner rather than later. I’m just continuing to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best and send them lots of love — especially also their family and all their supporters too.”
Koch has publicly supported Erik and Lyle since playing the younger brother in Monsters, which premiered in September 2024. The Netflix series chronicled the lives of Lyle (Nicholas Chavez) and Erik, who were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989. The show introduced different perspectives of what led the siblings to kill their parents, José (Javier Bardem) and Kitty (Chloë Sevigny), including their claims that it was in self-defense following years of alleged physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
After a resurgence in their case, Erik and Lyle were resentenced to 50 years to life, which made them eligible for parole under California’s youthful offender law since they committed their crime under the age of 26.
“I’m so grateful that that happened,” Koch told Variety in May about the possibility for parole. “And so is Erik, I spoke to him yesterday and he is so excited.”
At the time, Koch said “the most inspiring” thing he heard from Erik concerned his plans after potentially getting released.
“He is going to be an advocate for other people who have L.W.O.P, which is life without parole,” Koch explained about Erik’s plans to make “a lot of change” in the prison system. “His life is going to surround making change in the prison system, and I just think that is so beautiful.”
According to Koch, Erik had hope that if he and Lyle were released, in “10 years, people look back and they say, ‘We really made the right decision. Thank God we let them out.’”
The California Board of Parole Hearings ultimately denied Erik’s release in August, citing various prison infractions during his 35 years of incarceration. Lyle’s denial followed one day later.
Erik’s daughter, Talia Menendez, subsequently slammed the lack of public support in recent months but thanked Koch.
“Where are the celebrities that were ‘advocating’ for them???? It’s been WAY TOO QUIET,” Talia wrote via Instagram in August. “The only one that I can say has been checking in on my family is Cooper and we absolutely adore him. To the ones that went to the prison without any background checks to film their show but are staying quiet now.”
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