Nicholas Alexander Chavez has faced criticism online after being photographed with a pair of Halloween partygoers dressed as the Menendez brothers.
Chavez, 25, played convicted murderer Lyle Menendez in Ryan Murphy’s hit Netflix true crime drama, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
The brothers recently made headlines after Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón called for them to be resentenced, raising the possibility they could soon be paroled. Supporters of the brothers, including Kim Kardashian, have argued that the brothers deserved a more lenient sentence in light of the abuse they suffered at the hands of their parents before they murdered them.
When a picture of Chavez posing with the two unidentified Halloween partiers – one of whom was wearing a blood-splattered shirt – was posted on Reddit, many supporters of Lyle and Erik found it distasteful.
One user wrote that they found Chavez’s decision to agree to the picture “bizarre,” adding: “He’s spoken about believing Lyle and Erik both were subject to extreme abuse and were railroaded. I did think his portrayal of Lyle in the scenes detailing the abuse showed that he’d put the work in, in sympathizing with Lyle’s anguish. This is very disappointing, from his side.”
Another referenced Murphy’s previous serial killer series, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, writing: “Disgusting and insensitive... just as people dressing up as Dahmer was insensitive to the victims. Let’s not give these folks the attention they crave, please.”
A third user wrote: “I’m so disappointed with him. He deserves to be called out for this. It’s very disrespectful. I agree with everyone’s opinion about this since these photos were posted. I don’t even know if I’ll still support him as an actor. However, people should also call out those two men who wore those outfits.”
Some Reddit users defended Chavez, with one writing: “I’m not shocked by this. I think in Nicholas’s case, he didn’t mean anything by it. He probably just saw two fans and couldn’t say ‘no thanks’ to a picture.”
The #MenendezSupporters are very unhappy this afternoon with actor Nicholas Chavez who plays Lyle Menendez in 'Monsters/Menendez'
— Rob Rand Wants Justice for the Menendez Brothers (@MenendezRand) October 27, 2024
SMH
Via https://t.co/BY4NtXmsyP pic.twitter.com/tBN2vA56Yf
They continued: “Sadly, we’re gonna see a lot of people dress up as the Menendez brothers. Halloween is a time where you see a lot of stupidity like this. I remember when Steve Irwin died, I saw so many people dressed up like him with a stingray coming out of their body. I can’t get outraged over everything I see. I’m too outraged over other stuff that is affecting my life at this point.
“Honestly, if we were to ask the Menendez Brothers what they thought, they would just roll their eyes because they’re so used to the stupidity.”
The Independent has contacted representatives for Chavez for comment.
The Menendez brothers are serving life sentences for the 1989 murders of their parents, José and Kitty. While Gascón has recommended resentencing them, their sentence will not actually be reduced until his recommendation has been approved by a judge, and the state parole board would have to sign off on the brothers’ release.
Prosecutors filed the petition last Thursday. A hearing before a judge could come within the next month or so.
