Leslie Grossman Pushes Back on “Monsters” Backlash: Ryan Murphy's Team Was 'Making a Painting, Not a Documentary' (Exclusive)

Relatives of Erik and Lyle Menéndez have called the new Netflix series "phobic, gross, anachronistic" and "riddled with mistruths and outright falsehoods"

One of the stars of Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story is speaking out about the controversy surrounding co-creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's true crime series about the 1989 murders of parents José and Kitty Menéndez.

Since its release on Sept. 19, fans and the real-life figures involved in the case have reacted to the implication that brothers Lyle and Erik (portrayed on-screen by Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, respectively) had an incestuous relationship amid the alleged sexual abuse by their father (who is played by Javier Bardem).  

In a statement posted to social media on Sept. 25, relatives of the Menéndez family called the series "phobic, gross, anachronistic" and "riddled with mistruths and outright falsehoods."

Since then, Murphy, 58, told PEOPLE that he feels like the reaction is "faux outrage," explaining that "if you look at what we do, we give those boys so much airtime to talk about what they claim as their physical abuse. We live in a sort of culture of outrage that a lot of things are knee-jerk, and that's fine. I'm used to being controversial. It's not new to me."

Related: Erik Menéndez Slams Ryan Murphy's New Monsters Series as 'Horrible' and Full of 'Blatant Lies'

He further clarified that "we are not doing a documentary on the Menéndez brothers." Specifically when it comes to the mentions of incest, the co-creator believes "people are confused about that." 

"We're not presenting any of it as truth," Murphy continued. "We're presenting it as someone's opinion. All of that stuff is woven into a narrative that Dominick Dunne [the Vanity Fair journalist played by Nathan Lane] talked about in articles. It was also thrown up in court several times. I'm not saying that it happened. I'm not saying that it didn't happen. I'm saying that it was a part of the big folkloric tapestry of that case that might have swayed juries in a certain way or not. I was interested in that. When I read the family's comments about that, I don't think that they really understand. I don't think they've seen it because if they had seen it, they would know that."

Echoing that sentiment, Leslie Grossman, who has a scene-stealing supporting role as Judalon Smyth in Monsters, tells PEOPLE "that the show is really about shining a spotlight on sexual abuse and particularly, the sexual abuse of boys and men and its lingering effects."

"As the creators have said about the show, they're making a painting, not a documentary," the actress, 52, continues. "So, it isn't a documentary retelling of this story. It's sort of a Rashomon mix of all these different people's perspectives." 

Related: Kim Kardashian and Monsters Star Cooper Koch Visit Erik and Lyle Menendez in San Diego Prison

Grossman adds that Murphy, Brennan and the creative team took "such painstaking care" when creating the series. "Ryan had been working on this for a while. There was a lot of research involved for years before it was even written."   

She ends by saying, "Look, the truth is there's only four people in the whole world that know exactly what happened, right? Two of them are not here anymore. And I think the series just tries to show all the points of view, you know what I mean? And then it's ultimately for the audience to decide what they think about this."

As for Grossman, she remembers growing up in Los Angeles at the time of the murders and subsequent trials, which were a huge media sensation at the time. "I remember this case very clearly," she says. "And I remember Judalon testifying because I watched it on Court TV." 

"I was very aware of her," she adds of the woman, who was a former patient and mistress of Dr. Jerome Oziel (portrayed on-screen by Dallas Roberts), who was also a therapist for the Menendez brothers. She ended up playing a key role in the case after learning about the recordings Oziel made of his sessions with Erik and Lyle. "The thing about Judalon is that she is definitely a unique and specific person who had a worldview that was interesting."  

Related: Where Are the Menendez Brothers Now? A Look at Erik and Lyle's Lives in Prison — and the New Evidence That Could Get Them Out

That said, what Grossman remembers about the case has changed in the decades since. "There was just so much that I didn't know, even though I actually followed it when it happened. The reality of it was so much more intense than I think anyone even really knew," she says now, noting how the show pulled from transcripts of testimonies and court documents as well as books, videos and other research. "There was just stuff that the average person isn't gonna know in this great of detail." 

She adds, "So, just the depth of it was something that surprised me." 

Grossman also notes that changes in society, especially in a post-MeToo world, has also changed how people might view Judalon today — especially considering how those in court were laughing while she was on the stand. 

"What I did was always try to stay in the absolute truth of what her experience was. And she saw herself as a complete victim of Dr. Oziel," she says of her performance. "I just tried to be as loyal and true to her experience as possible." 

Reflecting on how people viewed her at the time of the trials, Grossman adds, "I understand that it comes off as pretty wild, but it's grounded in absolute truth. And I do think people might have a different view of it today and not think it's so funny. But she really saw herself as a real victim of this doctor, and I felt tremendous sympathy for her."

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

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