Cooper Koch, Erik Menendez.
Miles Crist/Netflix; Ted Soqui/Sygma via Getty ImagesCooper CookThe brother assured fans that the actor sympathizes with Erik Menendez – despite the controversial Monster The series presents the infamous murder case.
Payton Cook shared photos of Cooper, 28, on set on Thursday, September 19, writing via Instagram, “I have never been so proud of another human being. I love you so much and am so happy for you.”
In response, some fans took to the comments section to express their issues with the series, as Cooper does not have any public social media accounts. One person in particular questioned how Netflix portrayed 53-year-old Erik and Lyle Menendez.
“Cooper has the audacity to have photos of Erik all over the mirror like it’s a shrine while participating in a show that drags his name through the mud,” the comment reads. “Does anyone on this show have no morals? We, the Menendez support community and the abuse survivor community, are appalled by this show. Completely appalled.”
The Netflix series “Monsters” has been criticized for the way it portrays Lyle Menéndez and Erik Menéndez – particularly for inaccurate details about the events leading up to their murder case. The miniseries, which was released on September 19, centers on Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (Cooper Koch), who were convicted of the 1989 murder of (…).
Payton assured those frustrated by “Monsters” that Cooper approached the material with respect for the Menéndez brothers.
“Hi! I won’t speak for Cooper, but I will say he cares deeply about the boys and stands by them and all victims of abuse,” Payton wrote, before referencing Cooper’s monologue episode in a single take. “He went above and beyond to make sure their stories of abuse were on screen and I think it’s abundantly clear in Episode 5 where he stands. Actors are just vessels for the writers/producers of the show.”
Monsters, which premiered on Thursday, revolves around Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (Koch), who were convicted in 1989 of the murder of their parents José (Javier Bardem) and Kitty (Chloe Sevigny). The series initially explores the brothers’ perspective and how José and Kitty’s alleged physical, emotional and sexual abuse led to them killing their parents. However, the second half of the season flips the narrative, raising questions about whether 56-year-old Lyle and Erik’s claims were false.
“Any portrayal of a true story is going to be difficult, but please believe me when I say he cares about her and her story. ❤️🩹,” Payton continued. “I understand and hear you completely. I’m glad you got to see Erik in episode 5, and I can only hope that people’s perspective changes and they sympathize with the boys, even if they aren’t portrayed in the best light in the last few episodes. Thank you for sharing this with us, and know that you are not alone in your feelings 🫶🏼.”
Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story has taken great pains to make the cast resemble their real-life counterparts. The 10-part miniseries, which will be released on September 19, follows Lyle and Erik Menéndez, who were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989. The siblings confessed to the crime and claimed they killed (…).
Payton’s insight comes after diversity confirmed that Cooper visited the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility with Kim Kardashian on Saturday, September 21, to speak to inmates, including Lyle and Erik, about prison reform.
Meanwhile, Erik commented on Monster one day after its publication.
“I thought we had moved beyond the lies and devastating character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle based on horrible and blatant likes that are rampant on the show,” reads a statement from Erik shared via Lyle’s Facebook page. “I can only believe they were done on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I must say that I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be so naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives to do this without malicious intent.”
Television pioneer Ryan Murphy has been creating, writing, directing and producing Emmy-winning series for over two decades – and now has so many shows on television that it feels like he’s everywhere. After co-creating the cult teen dramedy Popular in 1999, Murphy made his debut as a solo creator with the FX drama Nip/Tuck, (…)
Erik was not happy with how he and Lyle were characterized, adding, “It saddens me to know that Netflix, with its dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime, has pushed the painful truths back several steps – back to a time when prosecutors built a narrative on the belief system that men were not sexually assaulted and that men experienced rape trauma differently than women. These horrific lies have been refuted and exposed over the past two decades by countless brave victims who have overcome their personal shame and bravely spoken out about it.”
He continued: “So now Murphy is shaping his horrific story through vile and horrific character portrayals of Lyle and me and disheartening slanders. Isn’t the truth enough?”
Monster is currently streaming on Netflix.
