Leslie Grossman Pushes Back onMonstersBacklash: Ryan Murphy's Team Was 'Making a Painting, Not a Documentary' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Leslie Grossman as Judalon Smyth onMonsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story.Photo:Courtesy Of Netflix

Courtesy Of Netflix

One of the stars of Netflix’sMonsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Storyis speaking outabout the controversysurrounding co-creatorsRyan Murphyand Ian Brennan’s true crime series about the 1989 murders of parents José and Kitty Menéndez.

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 thathe 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.”

From Left: Dallas Roberts as Dr. Oziel and Leslie Grossman as Judalon Smyth.Miles Crist/Netflix

Miles Crist/Netflix

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.”

Echoing that sentiment, Leslie Grossman, who has a scene-stealing supporting role as Judalon Smyth inMonsters, 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.”

Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez (front) and Nicholas Chavez as Lyle Menendez inMonsterson Netflix.Netflix

Netflix

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.”

Leslie Grossman on Sept. 16, 2024.Leon Bennett/WireImage

Leon Bennett/WireImage

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 apost-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 Storyis now streaming on Netflix.

source: people.com