In a move that I really don’t know what to do with, Kim Kardashian and actor Cooper Koch, who plays Erik Menendez in the new Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, visited the real life Menendez brothers at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego this past weekend.
This visit comes right on the heels of some serious backlash against the show, which has stirred up quite a bit of controversy since its release.
Who are the Menendez brothers?
For a little context, Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted of murdering their wealthy parents, José and Kitty Menendez, back in 1989.
During their trials, they claimed they acted in self-defense after years of abuse at the hands of their father. However, prosecutors argued that the murders were premeditated and driven by greed since the brothers stood to inherit a fortune.
The controversial Netflix series
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which premiered on Netflix on September 19, is the second season of Ryan Murphy‘s Monster anthology. It dives into the complicated narrative surrounding the brothers’ actions and trials.
The show has had immense backlash since its release. In fact, the real Erik recently slammed the show for being filled with “blatant lies” and offering a “dishonest portrayal” of their story.
In a statement released through his wife Tammi, he said, “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.”
Given all this, for Cooper Coch, the actor who played Erik, and Kim Kardashian to visit the Menendez brothers just a few days after the statement was released is pretty random.
Why is Kim Kardashian visiting prisons?
Kim has been a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform in the past and not just that time Gypsy Rose Blanchard was on The Kardashians.
TMZ reported that Kim was there to discuss prison reform and the Greenspace initiative — a project aimed at improving prison environments to aid inmate rehabilitation. This includes upgrading landscaping and creating murals and artwork in prison common and outdoor spaces. Lyle Menendez is heavily involved in the project.
Kim made this a family affair, bringing along Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner, as well as film producer and founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Scott Budnick, who has appeared on The Kardashians before.
Kim is close to Ryan Murphy and recently starred in the latest season of American Horror Story (AHS) (which Ryan created) and was on Variety’s Actors on Actors conversation with another AHS alum Chloë Sevigny, who happens to play Kitty Menendez in the Monsters series. Kim is also set to star in Ryan’s upcoming legal drama All’s Fair.
However, in Erik’s statement he was vocal about his disappointment in Ryan, and claimed that Ryan had “bad intent” when depicting their story. So, it’s extra peculiar that Ryan’s bestie Kim showed up days later with the actor who played out Erik’s real life tragedy.
People online are speculating how the visit went. “I wonder how that conversation went, since the brothers were not a fan of how the show depicted their story. Not the actor’s fault since he didn’t write it, but if I was Erik, I’d be a little upset that someone willingly acted out a gay incestuous love story based on my real life trauma and abuse. Yuck,” said one Reddit user.
Others are all for the group visit to the prison. “Kim Kardashian doing prison reform work is actually pretty cool. Also, Cooper Koch being there must’ve been interesting for the inmates,” said someone on X.
Ryan Murphy is yet to comment on the backlash he is receiving from Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, but who knows, maybe Kim’s visit may inspire him to reach out to the brothers.
Lead image: Getty Images
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