“Free the Menendez brothers”: Rosie O’Donnell speaks out after Erik and Lyle Menendez denied parole

As per a recent article by US Weekly, popular television host, comedian, and actress Rosie O'Donnell recently spoke up for Lyle and Erik Menendez after the two were denied parole.

Rosie O'Donnell shared a message on Instagram on Saturday, August 23, in support of the Menendez brothers after they lost a bid for parole regarding the killings of their parents, Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez and Jose, which took place in 1989.

The former View cohost wrote "Free the Menendez brothers” on her Instagram.

In separate hearings this week, Erik and Lyle were both denied parole. They have consistently maintained that they acted in self-defense due to physical, emotional, and se*ual abuse from their parents, even though they were found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder in 1996.

During an appearance on Larry King Live, Rosie O'Donnell defended the siblings in 1990. After this, Lyle and Rosie O'Donnell started bonding with each other. The two were connected by Lyle's wife, Rebecca Sneed, and they started speaking on the phone in the year 2022.

Rosie O'Donnell talked about the experience of visiting the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego in 2023 to meet both brothers face-to-face in an interview with Variety.

For the first time in her life, Rosie O'Donnell felt "safe enough to trust and be vulnerable and love a straight man" because of her strong relationship with Lyle, as per her interview.

“I saw Lyle and gave him a hug. Then Erik came over to me, hugged me, and whispered in my ear, ‘Thank you for loving my brother.’ It was very, very moving to me.” Rosie O'Donnell said in the interview.

Erik's daughter, Talia, pointed out that the only famous person who had followed up with the family since their legal setback was Cooper Koch, who portrayed Erik in the Netflix true-crime thriller Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.

“The only one that I can say has been checking in on my family is Cooper and we absolutely adore him. To the ones that went to the prison without any background checks to film their show but are staying quiet now. You despise [sic] me beyond measure. Just say your views are down and keep it PUSHING.” Said Talia on her Instagram on August 23.

Nathan Hochman, the district attorney for Los Angeles County, denied requests for Erik and Lyle's release before last week's parole hearings.

"The Menendez brothers have never fully accepted responsibility for the horrific murders of their parents, instead continuing to promote a false narrative of self-defense that was rejected by the jury decades ago. We have consistently opposed their release because they have not demonstrated full insight into their crimes or shown that they have been fully rehabilitated, and therefore continue to pose a risk to society.” Hochman said in a statement.

About the Menendez brothers' case

In 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez were accused of killing their parents by shooting them close to their mansion in Beverly Hills.

In 1996, they were convicted of first-degree murder and murder conspiracy and given a life sentence without the chance of release.

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After the release of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, a new Netflix thriller in 2024, public interest in the case has spiked. Opinions on the narrative of the brothers are still divided.

In May 2025, a judge granted them release during a resentencing hearing. Both brothers, however, were refused release in August.

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