Current:Home > MarketsErik Menendez's Attorney Speaks Out on Ryan Murphy's Monsters Show -WealthDrive Solutions
Erik Menendez's Attorney Speaks Out on Ryan Murphy's Monsters Show
View
Date:2025-04-14 13:07:01
Erik Menendez’s longtime attorney is speaking out amid the success of Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix drama.
While Leslie Abramson—who represented Erik in the 1990s when he and his brother, Lyle Menendez, were tried for the 1989 murder of their parents—is depicted as one of the brothers’ most staunch defenders in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the retired defense attorney revealed she had no desire to watch the series.
“That piece of s--t I heard about? No,” she said in a video published by Entertainment Tonight Oct. 9. “I don’t watch any of those.”
“I will make no comments about my client,” she added. “None whatsoever.”
The 81-year-old—who is played by Ari Graynor in the anthology series—said she also opted not to watch the previous dramatization of the case, 2017’s Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders, in which she’s portrayed by Edie Falco. (The actress later received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for the role.)
Leslie did, however, give a written statement about the brothers—who are both serving life sentences without parole—in the new documentary The Menendez Brothers, also streaming on Netflix.
“30 years is a long time,” she said in an email shown in the doc. “I’d like to leave the past in the past. No amount of media, nor teenage petitions will alter the fate of these clients. Only the court can do that and they have ruled.”
The release of Monsters helped fuel renewed interest in the brothers’ case, as social media users have called for their convictions to be overturned. Most recently, they’ve zeroed in on the emergence of potential new evidence which could support the brothers’ allegation of physical and sexual abuse by their father, José Menendez.
Kim Kardashian, who visited the Menendezes at their San Diego prison in September, wrote in an essay published by NBC News that the brothers deserve a new trial.
“I have spent time with Lyle and Erik; they are not monsters,” the Kardashians star said in the op-ed. “They are kind, intelligent, and honest men.”
“I don’t believe that spending their entire natural lives incarcerated was the right punishment for this complex case,” she added. “Had this crime been committed and trialed today, I believe the outcome would have been dramatically different.”
Cooper Koch, who played the role of Erik in Monsters and accompanied Kim on her visit, also spoke out in support of the brothers.
“They committed the crime when they were 18 and 21 years old,” he told Variety last month, “and at the time, it was really hard for people to believe that male-on-male sexual abuse could occur, especially with father and son.”
He continued, “I really do hope that they are able to get paroled and have an amazing rest of their lives.”
E! News has reached out to lawyers for Erik and Lyle Menendez for comment but hasn’t heard back.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (2999)
Related
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Kristin Cavallari Wants Partner With a Vasectomy After Mark Estes Split
- Selena Gomez Claps Back at “Sick” Body-Shaming Comments After Emilia Perez Premiere
- Colin Allred, Ted Cruz reach end of Senate race that again tests GOP dominance in Texas
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Jaw-Dropping Amazon Fashion Deals: 3 Long-Sleeve Shirts for $19, Plus Up to 69% Off Fall Styles
- The top US House races in Oregon garnering national attention
- Selena Gomez, Mariska Hargitay and More Stars Who’ve Voted in 2024 U.S. Presidential Election
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- John Barrasso, Wyoming’s high-ranking Republican U.S. senator, seeks 3rd full term
Ranking
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Progressive district attorney faces tough-on-crime challenger in Los Angeles
- Two Democratic leaders seek reelection in competitive races in New Mexico
- What It's Really Like Growing Up As First Kid in the White House
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- Hugh Jackman roasts Ryan Reynolds after Martha Stewart declares the actor 'isn't funny'
- Casey and McCormick square off in Pennsylvania race that could determine Senate control
- US Sen. Tim Kaine fights for a 3rd term in Virginia against GOP challenger Hung Cao
Recommendation
South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
Voters deciding dozens of ballot measures affecting life, death, taxes and more
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' attorneys seek gag order after 'outrageous' claims from witness
These Oprah’s Favorite Things Are Major Sell-Out Risks: Don’t Miss Your Chance!
Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
Ruby slippers from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ are for sale nearly 2 decades after they were stolen
Bernie Marcus, The Home Depot co-founder and billionaire philanthropist, dies at 95
Cooper Flagg stats: How did Duke freshman phenom do in his college basketball debut?