The youngest daughter of the late professional wrestler Kerry Von Erich has spoken out about A24’s depiction of her father in its critically acclaimed 2023 sports drama, The Iron Claw.
Directed by Sean Durkin, the movie told the tragic story of the real-life Von Erich family, a wrestling dynasty from Texas who enjoyed enormous success throughout the Eighties. It starred Zac Efron as the only surviving Von Erich brother, Kevin; Jeremy Allen White as Kerry; Harris Dickinson as David; Stanley Simons as Mike; and Holt McCallany as the family patriarch, Fritz.
Speaking in the forthcoming episode of Investigation Discovery’s Hollywood Demons docuseries, titled “The Real Iron Claw,” about the film’s characterization of Kerry, who died by suicide in 1993, 38-year-old Lacey Von Erich labeled it “so inaccurate.”
“My sister and I were not in the movie as my dad’s children and he didn’t have a wife or anything. And that was a really big part of my dad,” said Lacey, who is herself a retired wrestler. “So how he was portrayed in the movie is so inaccurate that it was heart-wrenching.”
In the movie, White portrays Kerry from his early days of professional wrestling up until his tragic death. While his storyline included some of Kerry’s real-life challenges, like his foot amputation and subsequent addiction to painkillers, it failed to include any mention of his then-wife Catherine Murray, whom he married at 23, and their two daughters, Hollie and Lacey.
“Kerry in the movie was not a family man, but in real life he was,” Kevin added in the documentary.
Now 67, Kevin is the only surviving son of six. His older brother, Jack Jr., was six years old when he died in 1959, after being electrocuted. David died in 1984 after contracting enteritis in Tokyo at 25. Mike, Chris and Kerry all died by suicide. Mike in 1987 at the age of 23, Chris in 1991 at the age of 21 and Kerry in 1993 at the age of 33.
Chris, the youngest of the Von Erich brothers, was left out of the movie. Instead, “the director combined Mike and Chris’s lives,” Kevin explained.
Durkin previously addressed the decision to cut Chris from the movie, telling the Los Angeles Times: “There was a repetition to it, and it was one more tragedy that the film couldn’t really withstand.”
Elsewhere in the documentary, Lacey revealed that A24 had not consulted the family beforehand about the movie. She said they found out it was being made on social media.
Kevin, however, did confirm that he “endorsed” the movie.
The Independent has contacted representatives for Durkin and A24 for comment.
Asked in the documentary if he ever blamed his dad for the fates of his brothers, Kevin admitted: “Well, probably in a way I did. I was so mad that he didn’t take my call, you know. But he lost his sons and that outweighs anything else.
“In truth, the real bad guy was us — our weaknesses, in our hearts and our personality. Never quitting, never giving up — no matter what it was, it was a challenge to overcome. And that mindset maybe did get kinda dangerous toward the end, but that’s the way we were raised.”
ID’s “The Real Iron Claw” features interviews with Lacey, Hollie, experts, and Kevin, who “exposes the truth behind addiction and darkness of fame that transformed a family business into a living nightmare,” according to an official logline.
The episode premieres Monday, April 21, from 9-11 p.m. ET on ID and streams on Max.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
