When Lyle and Erik Menendez went on trial for the 1989 murder of their…

2025 Golden Globes Nominations: Miley Cyrus, Meryl Streep and More Snubs and Surprises

What Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez did on the night of Aug. 20, 1989, was never the real question.

It’s why that has made the brothers a subject of rapt fascination since long before they were convicted of murdering their parents and sentenced to life in prison. The motive they offered in their defense versus the one prosecutors supplied has provided fodder for an endless stream of content, the latest being the Ryan Murphy-produced Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix—now a three-time 2025 Golden Globe nominee ahead of the Jan. 5 ceremony.

“It has been a life-changing rollercoaster to portray Erik Menendez, and I hope, more than anything, that in my portrayal of him, there was enough truth to acknowledge the suffering of so many victims of sexual assault,” Cooper Koch, nominated for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture—Television, said in a statement. “My performance and this nomination are dedicated to them. Now I’m going to go pinch myself.”

Javier Bardem, who portrayed the brothers’ father, Jose Menendez, said he was “very grateful” to be up for Best Supporting Actor—Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television and paid tribute to everyone who worked on the production, while the show itself is contending for Best Miniseries or Motion Picture—Television.

Miles Crist/Netflix

“I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show,” Erik wrote in a message posted to his wife Tammi Menendez’s X account on Sept. 19, when the show premiered. “I can only believe they were done so on purpose.”

He called it a “horrible narrative” shaped by “vile and appalling character portrayals” of himself and Lyle, as well as “disheartening slander.”

Murphy initially found Erik’s take “curious” since, as far as he knew, the prison inmate hadn’t seen the series.

“I think the show is very interesting,” Murphy