Latest news with #MenendezStory
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lyle Menendez's stunning reaction to Emmy nomination for actor who played Erik on Netflix series
Lyle Menendez called up actor Cooper Koch, who just played his brother Erik Menendez, to congratulate him on his Emmy nomination for the role. The accolade came for the anthology series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which was co-created by Ryan Murphy and bowed on Netflix last September. Erik and Lyle, the wealthy brothers at the center of the story, are still in prison for having murdered their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez in 1989. At trial, prosecutors argued that Jose and Kitty were killed for their money while the defense relied heavily on what was then called the 'abuse excuse,' claiming Lyle and Erik had been molested and physically assaulted by their parents for years. A judge reduced the brothers' sentences earlier this year, rendering them eligible for parole, and their hearing is scheduled to take place this August. Now Cooper has shared that when news broke of his Emmy nomination Tuesday, Lyle phoned him from behind bars to share his reaction, via The Awardist podcast. 'I spoke with Lyle today. He called to send his congrats and was very, very sweet, and he was jealous that I was at Wimbledon this weekend,' said the actor. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has received 11 Emmy nods, including for Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny's performances as Jose and Kitty. Cooper has described his show as 'sort of like the end of an era' for the case, 'and what a great way to kind of put it to bed, and hopefully that will also go with the brothers getting released by the end of the summer.' The Menendez brothers were due to face a parole board on June 13, but in May that hearing was pushed back to August 21 and 22. The latest setback delays any possibility of freedom by at least nine weeks, after already spending 35 years behind bars for murdering both of their parents. The brothers appeared in Los Angeles County Superior Court last Tuesday, where Judge Michael Jesic reduced their sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life. The change means they're eligible to apply for parole under California 's youthful offender law because they committed the crime under the age of 26. But the June 13 date was already scheduled as a separate pathway to freedom. Governor Gavin Newsom was due to reveal whether he would consider clemency for the brothers. The brothers were ordered in 1996 to spend the rest of their lives in prison for fatally shooting their entertainment executive father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation did not give a reason for delaying the hearing. Newsom has the authority to grant immediate clemency to the brothers at any time, but securing parole could be a months or years-long process. The brothers were ordered in 1996 to spend the rest of their lives in prison for fatally shooting their entertainment executive father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home. The brothers were 18 and 21 at the time of the killings. Defense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, while prosecutors said the brothers killed their parents for a multimillion-dollar inheritance. 'I'm not saying they should be released, it's not for me to decide,' Jesic said. 'I do believe they've done enough in the past 35 years, that they should get that chance.' The brothers are broadly supported by their relatives, many of whom testified on their behalf during court proceedings. One said the duo had been 'universally forgiven by the family' for their actions. 'Today, 35 years later, I am deeply ashamed of who I was,' Lyle told the court. 'I killed my mom and dad. I make no excuses and also no justification. The impact of my violent actions on my family... is unfathomable.' The defense began by calling Ana Maria Baralt, a cousin of Erik and Lyle, who testified that the brothers have repeatedly expressed remorse for their actions. 'We all, on both sides of the family, believe that 35 years is enough,' Baralt said. 'They are universally forgiven by our family.' Diane Hernandez, who also testified during Erik and Lyle's first trial, spoke about the abuse she witnessed in the Menendez household when she lived with them and the so-called 'hallway rule.' 'When Jose was with one of the boys … you couldn't even go up the stairs to be on the same floor,' Hernandez said of the father. The previous LA County District Attorney George Gascón had opened the door to possible freedom for the brothers last fall by asking a judge to reduce their sentences. Gascón's office said the case would've been handled differently today due to modern understandings of sexual abuse and trauma, and the brothers' rehabilitation over three decades in prison. A resentencing petition laid out by Gascón focuses on the brothers' accomplishments and rehabilitation. Since their conviction, the brothers have received an education, participated in self-help classes and started various support groups for their fellow inmates. But current district attorney Nathan Hochman said he believes the brothers are not ready for resentencing because 'they have not come clean' about their crimes. His office also has said it does not believe they were sexually abused. 'Our position is not "no," it's not "never," it's "not yet,"' Hochman said. 'They have not fully accepted responsibility for all their criminal conduct.' On August 20, 1989, armed with two shotguns, the brothers shot both parents to death as they watched a movie at their Beverly Hills mansion. Their trial prompted worldwide headlines. Prosecutors said their motive was greed, as they stood to inherit $14 million from their parents. The brothers insisted they acted against a father who sexually abused them for years and a mother who turned a blind eye to the abuse. The first trial ended with a hung jury. But at a second trial in 1996 - where the judge refused to allow any evidence about the brothers being molested by their father - they were convicted and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. New interest in the case was sparked by the recent Netflix drama, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and the true crime documentary The Menendez Brothers. Both films explain how the brothers claimed to police that they returned home from the theater to find their parents had been slaughtered. At first it was feared that a vicious killer was on the loose in Beverly Hills, one of America's wealthiest communities. But cops switched their suspicions to Lyle and Erik after they set about spending their inheritance soon after their parents' deaths. Lyle bought a Porsche Carrera, Rolex watch and two restaurants, while his brother hired a full-time tennis coach to begin competing in tournaments. In all, they spent $700,000 between the time of their parents' deaths and their arrests in March 1990, seven months after the murders. Erik - who said his father abused him from the age of six to 12 - insisted in the new documentary that it's 'absurd' to suggest he was having a good time in the immediate aftermath of the murders. 'Everything was to cover up this horrible pain of not wanting to be alive,' he said. 'One of the things that stopped me from killing myself was that I would be a complete failure to my dad.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story' Star Cooper Koch On First Emmy Nom & Having An Effect On Events In 'Real-Time Before Our Eyes'
It's shaping up to be quite a good week for Cooper Koch, who just received his first Emmy nomination this morning for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series. Not only is he ecstatic about the news, the nomination came as a bit of an early present for him. 'Today's the greatest day and it's my birthday tomorrow,' says Koch. 'That's the best birthday present in the entire world.' Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story is the second season of Ryan Murphy's Monster anthology series for Netflix, centering on the 1989 murders of José (Javier Bardem) and Kitty Menendez (Chloë Sevigny), who were killed by their sons Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (Koch). The season was nominated for 11 Emmys, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. More from Deadline New Emmy Nominee Shawn Hatosy Reflects On His Biggest Career Roles, Says His 'The Pitt' Character "Was Easy To Fall In Love With" Jenny Slate On Emotional Journey To First Emmy Nomination For 'Dying For Sex': "I Knew Enough About Myself To Let It All Go" Emmy On-Screen Diversity Takes A Hit With Acting & Hosting Nominations Down 18% From 2024 The role was a 'dream come true' for Koch, as someone who was invested in the ongoing case. 'I found out about the story when I was auditioning for the Law & Order series and the Lifetime movie back in 2017,' he says. 'Since then, I've always had this deep care and passion for the brothers and sort of believing their side of the story.' A chance to show that care and passion came about with the fifth episode of the season, 'The Hurt Man' – a one-shot episode where Erik speaks about the abuse he suffered from his parents as a child. 'It's such a testament to Ian Brennan's work on writing the script,' says Koch. 'He really captured the way that both Erik and Leslie (Ari Graynor) sound and behave, and just the entire circumference of what it means to have experienced a form of sexual abuse… I don't know if I will ever get a script that is better than that, and I don't know if I'll ever do work that I feel as passionate about or proud of.' Something that makes the recognition even more meaningful for Koch is that the actual Menendez brothers are still in the midst of trials. 'For the past year, this is still something that's happening live, and in real-time before our eyes,' he says. 'If I, or the show and everybody who worked on the show, has had anything to do to sort of move the needle and impact the real-life events that are happening in front of our eyes, then that just means the world… If I had the ability to change the outcome of someone's life for the better, there's nothing better than that.' Of course, there's no rest for Koch who is already gearing up for Luca Guadagnino's AI-themed film Artificial. 'I'm going to be shooting that in August, and I have a couple of plays that I've been circulating that are still sort of in early development,' he says. 'But the thing I'm going to do next is Artificial.' Best of Deadline Everything We Know About Amazon's 'Verity' Movie So Far 'Street Fighter' Cast: Who's Who In The Live-Action Arcade Film Adaption 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Emmys, Oscars, Grammys & More
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story' Star Cooper Koch On First Emmy Nom & Having An Effect On Events In 'Real-Time Before Our Eyes'
It's shaping up to be quite a good week for Cooper Koch, who just received his first Emmy nomination this morning for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series. Not only is he ecstatic about the news, the nomination came as a bit of an early present for him. 'Today's the greatest day and it's my birthday tomorrow,' says Koch. 'That's the best birthday present in the entire world.' Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story is the second season of Ryan Murphy's Monster anthology series for Netflix, centering on the 1989 murders of José (Javier Bardem) and Kitty Menendez (Chloë Sevigny), who were killed by their sons Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (Koch). The season was nominated for 11 Emmys, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. More from Deadline New Emmy Nominee Shawn Hatosy Reflects On His Biggest Career Roles, Says His 'The Pitt' Character "Was Easy To Fall In Love With" Jenny Slate On Emotional Journey To First Emmy Nomination For 'Dying For Sex': "I Knew Enough About Myself To Let It All Go" Emmy On-Screen Diversity Takes A Hit With Acting & Hosting Nominations Down 18% From 2024 The role was a 'dream come true' for Koch, as someone who was invested in the ongoing case. 'I found out about the story when I was auditioning for the Law & Order series and the Lifetime movie back in 2017,' he says. 'Since then, I've always had this deep care and passion for the brothers and sort of believing their side of the story.' A chance to show that care and passion came about with the fifth episode of the season, 'The Hurt Man' – a one-shot episode where Erik speaks about the abuse he suffered from his parents as a child. 'It's such a testament to Ian Brennan's work on writing the script,' says Koch. 'He really captured the way that both Erik and Leslie (Ari Graynor) sound and behave, and just the entire circumference of what it means to have experienced a form of sexual abuse… I don't know if I will ever get a script that is better than that, and I don't know if I'll ever do work that I feel as passionate about or proud of.' Something that makes the recognition even more meaningful for Koch is that the actual Menendez brothers are still in the midst of trials. 'For the past year, this is still something that's happening live, and in real-time before our eyes,' he says. 'If I, or the show and everybody who worked on the show, has had anything to do to sort of move the needle and impact the real-life events that are happening in front of our eyes, then that just means the world… If I had the ability to change the outcome of someone's life for the better, there's nothing better than that.' Of course, there's no rest for Koch who is already gearing up for Luca Guadagnino's AI-themed film Artificial. 'I'm going to be shooting that in August, and I have a couple of plays that I've been circulating that are still sort of in early development,' he says. 'But the thing I'm going to do next is Artificial.' Best of Deadline Everything We Know About Amazon's 'Verity' Movie So Far 'Street Fighter' Cast: Who's Who In The Live-Action Arcade Film Adaption 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Emmys, Oscars, Grammys & More
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2025 Emmy nominations full list: Live updates
Nominations for the 2025 Emmy Awards were announced this morning. The nominees for television's best shows and performances from the past year, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, were presented live by actors Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows) and Brenda Song (Running Point). The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards will be broadcast live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and stream live on Paramount+. The show will be hosted by comedian Nate Daily Show Jimmy Kimmel Live! The Late Show With Stephen Colbert The Amazing Race RuPaul's Drag Race Survivor Top Chef The Traitors Colin Farrell, The Penguin Stephen Graham, Adolescence Jake Gyllenhaal, Presumed Innocent Brian Tyree Henry, Dope Thief Cooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer Meghann Fahy, Sirens Rashida Jones, Black Mirror Adolescence Black Mirror Dying for Sex Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story The Penguin Uzo Aduba, The Residence Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary Ayo Edebiri, The Bear Jean Smart, Hacks Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This Seth Rogen, The Studio Jason Segel, Shrinking Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building Jeremy Allen White, The Bear Abbott Elementary The Bear Hacks Nobody Wants This Only Murders in the Building Shrinking The Studio What We Do in the Shadows Sterling K. Brown, Paradise Gary Oldman, Slow Horses Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us Adam Scott, Severance Noah Wyle, The Pitt Kathy Bates, Matlock Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters Britt Lower, Severance Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us Keri Russell, The Diplomat Andor The Diplomat The Last of Us Paradise The Pitt Severance Slow Horses The White Lotus
