Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
Cooper Koch, the actor who plays Erik Menendez in Ryan Murphy's controversial new series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, has made one request after visiting the brothers in prison.
The harrowing true-crime drama, which landed on Netflix last week (19 September), explores the lives of the Menendez brothers who were convicted of the brutal murders of their parents, Kitty and José Menendez, in Beverly Hills back in 1989.
The nine-part series chronicles the court case which saw the prosecution argue that Erik and his brother Lyle were seeking to inherit their family fortune.
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However, the brothers claim to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole, that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents.
There has been a lot of backlash following the series' release, namely from the brothers themselves who recently released a statement condemning producers, and implored fans to boycott the show due to its 'inaccuracies'.
Amid the controversy surrounding the new series, Koch has come forward to share that he 'totally stands' with the brothers amidst calls of a retrial.
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"I totally stand with them, and I support them, and I can only hope that the justice system makes the right decision," he told Sky News.
Responding to Erik's claims that the show was 'dishonest' and 'inaccurate', Koch continued: "I understand where he's coming from. It's very difficult to have your life dramatised and retold in a Hollywood retelling of the biggest trauma of your life. One that has, in a sense, defined you.
"I can only sympathise and empathise with him and stand with him. You know, I get it."
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While admitting there was an 'ethical thing there for sure', the actor explained: "I just made it my priority every day to make sure that I was being authentic to [Erik] and the story and to just work with integrity and make sure that I was always studying and watching testimony and just digging deeper and deeper into, him and his story."
Commenting on how he got into character during the extremely tense courtroom scene, Koch, who recently visited the brothers in prison, noted that having Erik's own words from court made things much easier.
"I don't really have to use a tonne of my imagination. It's like he's telling me, and all I have to do is visualise what happened and the stories that he recounts on the stand," he said.
"In that sense, it kind of makes the job... It's like you have this blueprint already. You don't have to create from a blank canvas."
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Last year, the brothers' lawyer filed a petition to vacate their convictions in light of two new pieces of evidences.
One of these was a letter Erik wrote eight months before the murders, and the other was an allegation made by Puerto Rican musician Roy Rossello, who has since claimed he was drugged and raped by José Menéndez at the family's Los Angeles property.
The defence team allegedly stated that this should warrant a new trial because it's information they didn't have when the case was first presented to a jury.
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Lyle and Erik still hope for an overturn in their convictions, though the LA County District Attorney's Office has yet to decide if they will retry the pair.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is currently available to stream on Netflix.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.
Topics: Crime, Netflix, TV And Film, True Crime, Menendez Brothers
Rhiannon Ingle