Nathan Lane Says Menéndez Brothers 'Deserve' a Retrial Despite Not GivingMonsters'2 Thumbs Up from Prison' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne in ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story’ on Netflix.Photo:Courtesy Of Netflix

Courtesy Of Netflix

Nathan Lanejokes that he hasn’t heard about the controversy surroundingMonsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story, in which he plays journalistDominick Dunne.

“I’m not on social media, you’ll have to tell me,” Lane, 68, quips to PEOPLE.

“It’s a dramatization, it’s not a documentary,” Lane says ofMonsters. “Not everyone is going to agree with every single point of view, but that’s what makes horse races. I think they certainly cover the fact that they were abused. And just because Dominick Dunn [said] at dinner parties, ‘Maybe this is what happened,’ we shouldn’t all lose our heads. That’s just somebody theorizing about the case and it’s not what the show is trying to tell you.”

The actor believesMonstersintends to get to the root of “who are the monsters?” he says.

“That’s [what] the ultimate question is: was it the two boys who committed this horrific act, or was it the parents? I personally feel, yes, they were sexually abused. I don’t know to what extent, only Erik and Lyle know the real truth. Dominick Dunne had a line that didn’t make the show, he was arguing withBarbara Waltersof all people at that dinner party in the fourth episode, and he said, ‘No matter what, the only two people alive who know would do anything to avoid the gas chamber, so you’ll have to forgive my skepticism.’"

‘Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menéndez Story’ stars (from left) Nicholas Alexander Chavez , Ari Graynor and Cooper Koch.Netflix

Netflix

Monsterstells the story of Erik and Lyle Menéndez, two brothers who shot their parentsJosé and Kittyto death in 1989 after years of what they claimed to be sexual abuse at the hand of their father. Police arrested Lyle, now 56, on March 8, 1990, after Erik, now 53,confessed to his therapistthat he and his brother committed the crime; Erik turned himself in three days later after returning from a trip to Israel.

Erik and Lyle stood trial twice, first in July 1993, which the judge declared a mistrial since the jury couldn’t come to a unanimous decision about whether Erik and Lyle should be convicted of murder or manslaughter. In their October 1995 trial, the jury found Erik and Lyle guilty of first-degree murder dismissing the brothers’ claims about their father’s abuse. Erik and Lyle continue to serve a life sentence at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.

Nathan lane (left) and Dominick Dunne.Netflix; Ron Galella/getty

Netflix; Ron Galella/getty

“They were two young, handsome, rich kids who had murdered their parents, seemingly for the money, that’s what everyone said,” Lane says. “Because they had lied about everything, and they went on a shopping spree. It didn’t look good.”

The Emmy winner believes that, while “they’re guilty,” he thinks “there were extenuating circumstances in what was happening to them from a very early age — fear and physical and emotional abuse” that may cause a present-day jury to come to a different conclusion in the Menéndez case.

“They’ve served 35 years. All of the attention it’s getting may work in their favor,” Lane says. “They may not like how they were portrayed, it may actually help. We didn’t get two thumbs up from prison, but they may revisit the trial. I think they deserve that.”

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Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Storyis streaming now on Netflix.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

source: people.com