Trauma Torn Apart: The Menendez Brothers Speak Out

The Menendez brothers, Erik and Lyle, are speaking out about the Netflix series "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story". The brothers are serving life prison sentences for the 1989 murder of their parents, but they've spent years trying to change their public image to focus on the abuse they suffered at the hands of their parents. The new show, however, has undone all of that, in their eyes. The series, which is only two episodes in, portrays the brothers in a light that they feel is unfair. Erik writes on Lyle's Facebook page, "How demoralizing to know that one person with power can undermine decades of progress in shedding light on childhood trauma. " He specifically calls out the portrayal of their 1996 trial, which he believes was built on the idea that males don't experience sexual abuse the same way as females. But what really has the brothers upset is the depiction of their supposed incestuous relationship. In response, Lyle encourages his supporters to keep speaking out against the show, saying that the characters should be treated with kindness and compassion instead of being judged. The comments on Lyle's Facebook page are filled with supporters of the brothers, many of whom express sympathy for their situation. "Wish I could reach through the screen and give both Lyle and Eric a big hug. Undeserved and completely bizarre, I can't even fathom the reality in which they live," writes commenter Laurie Nickel.