Were the Menendez brothers abused by their parents?

When Court TV first aired the Menendez case in 1993, the trial took America by storm. Now Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s latest Netflix series, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” delves into the explosive case.

Although the brothers originally said they were not responsible for the murders of their parents, Jose and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, they have stuck to their defense since admitting to the crimes. Lyle and Erik Menendez claim that both parents abused them physically, emotionally and sexually for years and that they were afraid their parents would kill them if they didn’t act first. That was the reason they attacked their parents with shotguns in 1989.

Here’s what we know about the case: From the brothers’ exact accusations against their parents to the intimacy of the relationship between Lyle and Erik.

Were the Menendez brothers abused by their parents?

Child abuse has always been paramount in Menendez’s defense. Both brothers claimed the sexual abuse began when they were six years old. It always unfolded in the same way, starting with José giving them massages after their sports games. It later evolved to their father inserting objects into them and eventually oral sex and rape. According to the brothers, José never said the encounters were homosexual, especially since he often used homophobic slurs. Rather, he said this was a bonding exercise, similar to what the ancient Spartans or Romans did.

This wasn’t just limited to José. It was an open secret in the family that the two were not to be disturbed when José went into Erik’s room and closed the door. It was also common knowledge that José showered with his sons until they were teenagers.

The brothers claimed they told their mother what was going on, but she turned them down. According to them, she wasn’t innocent either. Lyle said Kitty bathed him until he was 13. She also took him to bed and encouraged him to fondle her. With Erik, she examined his genitals and looked for early signs of HIV.

Lyle claimed that José abused him from the age of six to eight. Erik claimed that his abuse continued into adulthood, which prompted the brothers to take action against their parents. Shortly after learning that the abuse continued and that Erik would be staying home for his studies, Lyle confronted his parents. The brothers claimed that the severe consequences of this confrontation prompted them to purchase weapons for self-defense.

Were the Menendez brothers in love?

Lyle Menendez admitted on the witness stand to sexually abusing his brother. He claimed he learned this from his father, who allegedly sexually abused them both starting at the age of six. While he admitted this during the trial, Lyle could barely hold back his tears as he apologized to Erik.

Apart from this disturbing revelation, the story that the brothers had an incestuous love relationship is not a common story or even a common rumor.

In Robert Rand’s The Menendez Murders: The Shocking Untold Story of the Menendez Family and the Killings that Stunned the Nation, he describes how one of Erik’s jurors suggested during the first trial that the brothers had been romantically involved. The juror theorized that Erik and Lyle’s parents had found out about their relationship, which was the real reason the brothers killed their parents. To determine whether this theory was at all credible, the jury asked the court reporter to re-read “any statements or allusions to Erik’s homosexuality.” And since this trial was televised, most of America knew that the brothers’ sexuality had played a large role in at least one jury’s decision. The theory was ultimately rejected, and both Erik and Lyle’s first trials ended in a failed jury agreement.

Many also noted that Lyle was protective of his younger brother. But aside from those details, the suggestion that the two were romantically involved seems to be fabricated. It could also be that “Monsters” portrayed the brothers in this light to show how this family combined familial love with romantic intimacy, and to dramatize the rumors that were circulating about Lyle and Erik.

Erik Menendez’s sexuality

Before we delve into this complex topic, it is important to know that both brothers are currently married to women. Lyle first married Anna Eriksson before divorcing and marrying Rebecca Sneed in 2003. Erik married Tammi Saccoman in 1999.

While Lyle’s sexuality was rarely questioned during the trials, Erik’s sexuality was. While on the witness stand during the first trial, Erik admitted that he was “really confused” about his sexuality. This admission was tied to Erik detailing the sexual abuse he allegedly suffered at the hands of his father. His mother’s demand that he get a girlfriend was also part of the case. Kitty Menendez allegedly told Erik he had six months to find a young woman to go out with.

There were also rumors that Erik had performed oral sex on inmates while in prison. In Robert Hofler’s Money, Murder, and Dominick Dunne: A Life in Several Acts, he wrote: “‘There was a hint of homosexuality throughout the entire trial,’ said prosecutor Pamela Bozanich, with whom Dunne quickly became friends. ‘We knew Erik was gay and had performed oral sex on the inmates.’ They also knew of homoerotic photographs taken of Erik.”

However, Erik Menendez has always denied being gay. The defense repeatedly contradicted any prosecution references to Erik’s sexuality. They also contradicted the suggestion that Erik would use details of his alleged homosexual lifestyle to support his descriptions of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father.

Although the defense repeatedly tried to divert the focus from Erik’s sexuality, it became a major theme of the first trial. The prosecution even argued that the Menendez family’s big secret was Erik’s homosexuality, not José’s sexual, physical and emotional abuse, as the defense argued. Many members of the jury said they did not believe this defense claim.

“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” is now streaming on Netflix.

The post ‘Monsters’: Were the Menendez Brothers Abused by Their Parents? appeared first on TheWrap.