Kim Kardashian Visits Erik and Lyle Menendez in Prison With ‘Monsters’ Star Cooper Koch
Kim Kardashian paid a visit to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional facility on Saturday, September 21, to give a talk about prison reform to inmates, including Lyle Menéndez and Erik Menéndez, Variety reported.
Kardashian reportedly visited the prison, which is close to San Diego, with actor Cooper Koch, who portrays Erik in Netflix's new series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Also in attendance for the visit were producer Scott Budnick, Kim's mom Kris Jenner and sister Khloé Kardashian.
Lyle and Erik are reportedly involved in a reform initiative called Greenspace, which is "aimed at improving prison yards to aid inmate rehabilitation," according to Deadline. During the visit, Kim spoke to approximately 40 inmates, including the Menéndez brother, the outlet reported.
The new Netflix series, which was co-created by Ryan Murphy, has caused some controversy since its release, particularly for the way in which Lyle and Erik are depicted.
What Does ‘Monsters’ Get Wrong About Erik and Lyle Menendez’s Murder Case? Incest Claims and More
Kim recently collaborated with Murphy on American Horror Story: Delicate, and is set to reunite with him to work on Hulu's legal drama All’s Fair.
Monsters was released on September 19, and presents a number of different perspectives regarding what led up to the murders of Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik's parents, José (Javier Bardem) and Kitty (Chlo? Sevigny).
Viewers immediately questioned whether season 2 of the true crime anthology series would feature any inaccuracies regarding the Menéndez brothers' murder trial.
People also reportedly expressed concern about the presentation of the Menéndez brothers' claims that they acted in self-defense due to experiencing alleged physical, emotional and sexual abuse over a number of years.
The brothers were convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in 1989, and received a sentence of life imprisonment without parole.
Following the show's release on Netflix, Erik released a statement criticizing the series.
"I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant likes rampant in the show," Erik said in a statement posted on his wife Tammi Menendez’s X account. "I can only believe they were done so on purpose."
See How the ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ Cast Compares to Real-Life Counterparts
Erik's statement continued, "It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent."
"It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward — back through time to an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women," Erik explained.
Erik continued, "Those awful lies have been disrupted and exposed by countless brave victims over the last two decades who have broken through their personal shame and bravely spoken out."