A new Netflix series focusing on the Menendez brothers implies they had an incestuous relationship in one particular scene, and this has angered viewers.
Netflix is known for its true crime documentaries, and their "Monsters" series got off to a popular start with Jeffrey Dahmer.
Watch the Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story trailer below:The second season has just dropped onto the platform and focuses on Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989.
The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story dives into the complex dynamics of the Menendez family, portraying the events that led to the brutal killing of the wealthy couple.
Lyle and Erik, who fired 15 rounds at their parents, cited years of sexual abuse as their motive, though prosecutors argued that financial gain was the real reason behind the murders.
The series features Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle, with Chloë Sevigny playing their mother, Kitty, and Javier Bardem as their father, José, a powerful Hollywood executive.
However, just one day after its release, the show has drawn widespread criticism for a scene in episode two.
The moment in question shows the brothers sharing what some viewers have interpreted as an incestuous kiss, sparking outrage across social media.
Many directed their complaints towards Ryan Murphy, the director of the series.
One person wrote: "If Ryan wanted to make a show about twin brothers developing an intimate relationship with each other due to shared sexual trauma and parental abuse, then he should’ve written a new story. You don’t get to rewrite the experience of real people and REAL VICTIMS to suit yourself!"
A second person said: "So weird he’d do this to brothers too. I’m not watching anything he puts out anymore I’m done."
A third person added: "I do not understand why Ryan Murphy made it seem like Erik and Lyle Menendez had an incestuous kind of relationship... Like c’mon now. Just p***ed me tf off."
A fourth said: "Creating fan fiction involving incest between real-life brothers especially when they have been victims of abuse and incest themselves is absolutely vile and insane I'm literally speechless."
While many viewers have condemned the scene, others have defended Murphy's portrayal.
One person argued: "Ryan Murphy will always Ryan Murphy with his projects, but it’s important to remember when watching #MonstersNetflix that this is how the Menendez brothers actually were with each other. Their emotional codependent behaviour and weird boundaries stemmed from shared SA trauma."
In regards to the crime, the brothers shot their father, José Menendez, five times, including a point-blank shot to the back of the head. As their mother, Kitty Menendez, attempted to flee, she was shot nine times.
After the brutal killings, the brothers disposed of their firearms and clothes before heading to a local theater to watch Batman.
Later, they returned home and called 911, frantically claiming to have found their parents' bodies and suggesting that the murders might have been a mob hit.
Six months after the murders, Lyle was arrested in March 1990, and Erik turned himself in three days later.
Lyle and Erik were initially placed in separate prisons but were reunited in 2018 at the R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
Now 56 and 53 years old, respectively, the Menendez brothers are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.
.jpg_FoPZYI?tr=h-40)
.jpg_FoPZYI?tr=h-184)
