Just days after the explosive new documentary, ‘Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed‘ premiered on Peacock, Erik and Lyle Menendez had their attorney file with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to have their records expunged. The brothers’ attorney, Mark Geragos, claims they have two new pieces of evidence backing their claim their father was molesting them.
One of the pieces of evidence cited in the Writ of Habeas Corpus filed by Geragos is the information divulged by former Menudo band member, Roy Rosselló, in the documentary. Rosselló claims he was sexually abused by the brothers’ father, José Menendez, who was an executive at RCA at the time.
In response to the legal filing, showrunner of the documentary, Esther Reyes, said, “The night before our series launch, none of us could have predicted what the public reception would be. Certainly, we are living in different times than Lyle and Erik were when their case was adjudicated—not just once—but twice. And certainly, movements like #metoo and #mentoo have made it easier for survivors of sexual abuse to speak out, but it’s been eye-opening to see and hear voices of support from all ages and ethnicities who share similar stories. It’s also been illuminating to see the reactions of fans around the globe who were part of Menudomania. No one could have imagined what was allegedly happening behind the scenes.”
The project is directed by Reyes and follows decades of work by reporters Bob Rand and Nery Ynclan.
When asked about her goal for the documentary, Reyes said, “As filmmakers and journalists, our goal was to shine a light on the entirety of the story, but we could not have expected that the Menendez brothers would point to the documentary series as support in their habeas petition.
The DA’s office says they’ve received the filing and are reviewing.
