‘DISHEARTENING SLANDER’
Who is Payton Koch and what has he said about his brother Cooper’s role as Erik Menendez?
See what Erik Menendez himself had to say about his characterization in Netflix’s Monsters
PAYTON Koch is a highly-acclaimed film editor and the twin of actor Cooper.
The filmmaker jumped to his brother's defense following online comments criticizing his brother's portrayal of an infamous murderer.
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Cooper Koch, who plays Erik Menendez in Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, has found himself at the center of controversy following the series' release.
The actor's twin brother Payton has come to his defense amid backlash from viewers and Erik Menendez himself.
Who is Payton Koch?
Payton Koch was born on July 16, 1996 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.
He is an Emmy-nominated film editor known for his work on popular television series including Only Murders in the Building, American Horror Story and Ratched.
Payton, who is the grandson of producer Hawk Koch, began his filmmaking journey at a young age, experimenting with iMovie and creating short films.
He earned a Bachelor's degree in film production from Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.
Payton is also the twin brother of actor Cooper Koch, who portrays Erik Menendez in Netflix's Monsters series.
Payton's Insta post
On September 19, 2024, Payton shared photos on Instagram of Cooper, 28, on the set of Monsters, expressing his pride in his brother's performance.
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He wrote: "Have never felt more proud of another human being. I love you so much and am so so happy for you".
The post attracted criticism from fans who took issue with the series' portrayal of the Menendez brothers.
Netflix Menendez Story trailer
One commenter posted: "The audacity of Cooper to have photos of Erik everywhere on the mirror like a shrine when he's participating in a show that drags his name through the mud".
Payton's defense of Cooper
In response to the criticism, Payton defended his twin brother's portrayal of the killer and shed light on Cooper's approach to the role.
He stated: "I won't speak for Cooper but I will say that he cares immensely for the boys and stands with them and all victims of abuse.
"He did everything he could to ensure their stories of abuse were seen on screen and I think in episode 5, it is abundantly clear where he stands".
It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward
Erik Menendez
Addressing the difficulties of dramatizing real-life events, Payton acknowledged: "Any true story portrayal is going to be tough, but please trust me when I say he does care about them and their story."
He also added that actors are "only vessels for the writers/producers of the show".
Context
The backlash comes in the wake of criticism from Erik Menendez himself, who called it "disheartening slander".
In a statement related via his wife on X, Erik Menendez criticized the production the day after it was released.
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He said: "I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show.
“I can only believe they were done so on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent.”
He continued: “It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward — back through time to an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women.
"Those awful lies have been disrupted and exposed by countless brave victims over the last two decades who have broken through their personal shame and bravely spoken out.”
Background on the Menendez murders
Erik, now 53, and Lyle, 56, were convicted of murdering their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home in 1989.
The brothers alleged in court that they were physically and sexually abused by their father, and that their mother Kitty was physically abusive and an enabler of her husband's behavior.
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The Menendez brothers were sentenced to life in prison in 1996.
They currently remain incarcerated at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
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