Followers Tear Into Rosie O’Donnell for Name to Free Menendez Brothers After Parole Denials

Taking to Instagram on Saturday, O’Donnell wrote, “Free the Menendez brothers,” per Us Weekly. The brothers had admitted to killing José and Mary Louise “Kitty,” however have additionally maintained it was a choice made in desperation and self-defense because of alleged bodily, emotional, and sexual abuse from their dad and mom. They had been every convicted of first-degree homicide in 1996.

O’Donnell has beforehand spoken about growing a reference to Lyle, after he wrote a letter to thank her for defending the brothers throughout an look on Larry King Reside within the Nineteen Nineties. The comic then acquired the prospect to fulfill them in jail in 2023.

Sharing what occurred with Selection final yr, O’Donnell stated, “I noticed Lyle and gave him a hug. Then Erik came visiting to me, hugged me, and whispered in my ear, ‘Thanks for loving my brother.’ It was very, very transferring to me.”

Whereas there was some help within the feedback to Rosie’s put up calling for the brothers to be freed, many commenters blasted the comic for her take — or for even taking the time to speak about this subject amid the present political local weather.

“Yeah No this I don’t agree wit 🤦🏽‍♀️😳 come on Rosie,” wrote one, whereas one other commented, “I agree with you on most issues however not this.” Nonetheless one other wrote, “No Rosie I’m sorry. I consider they had been abused however I don’t consider it was self protection. I consider it was revenge.”

Nonetheless, one fan informed her, “With every little thing happening in America. Its actually the very last thing I care about proper now.” One other agreed, writing, “Nahhh, there’s extra essential issues for you people to give attention to.”

Many famous that the brothers may have solved their issues so many different methods. “They had been adults. They may have moved out. They’re the place they’re imagined to be for murdering their dad and mom,” wrote one, whereas one other added, “You do not homicide individuals. There have been a number of methods they may have left the abusive family with out murdering their dad and mom. I do not agree with you on this one.

One fan jumped into the feedback to name out Rosie herself, writing, “Lifelong fan however your entitlement is displaying.” One other appeared stunned by her take, commenting, “Severely??? Nope! I am kinda hoping you may take down this put up.”

There have been some supporters of Rosie’s stance, in addition to these agreeing with it, however the overwhelming sentiment was that the Menendez brothers are proper the place they belong — behind bars.

“There’s a purpose why they’ve been repeatedly denied parole,” one fan argued. “Let’s work on releasing the entire black and brown people who find themselves serving inequitably lengthy sentences for petty offenses that their white counterparts get off with a slap on the wrist for.”

Whilst O’Donnell continues her clarion cry for the Menendez brothers to be launched, Erik’s daughter stated that the “struggle isn’t over” after her uncle Lyle was denied parole simply sooner or later after her adoptive father acquired the identical information about his personal sentence.

“Extraordinarily saddened that the parole board failed as soon as once more with a complete totally different commissioner,” she wrote on her Instagram Story on Friday, per Us Weekly. “Mentally torturing these 2 by forcing them to relive the trauma they’ve endured for 10+ hours simply to inform them no and to strive once more in 3 years. You all can decide me for being indignant. I’m standing 10 toes for our household.”

Talia has develop into maybe essentially the most vocal supporter of the brothers, at the same time as she got here into their household a full decade after the murders. Erik adopted her after his marriage to her mom, Tammi Saccoman-Menendez, in 1999 whereas he was incarcerated.

“We is not going to cease till they’re free,” she insisted in her newest Instagram put up, speaking about feeling “let down again and again.” After this newest denial, CNN notes that the brothers obtained three-year denials, however could possibly be eligible for an administrative overview in a yr, placing them earlier than a parole board once more as early as 18 months from now.

Talia’s newest feedback come on the heels of her scathing remarks after Erik’s parole denial on Thursday the place she requested the place all these movie star voices had been now that the second was upon them.

Regardless of celebrities, akin to Kim Kardashian, being vocal about their help for the Menendez brothers’ launch, Talia claimed Cooper Koch — who portrayed Erik in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix sequence, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story — is the one star being there for her household.

“The place are the celebrities that had been ‘advocating’ for them???? It has been WAY TOO QUIET,” Talia wrote. “The one one which I can say has been checking in on my household is Cooper and we completely adore him.”

“To those that went to the jail with none background checks to movie their present however are staying quiet now,” she continued, seemingly referring to stars who visited Erik, 54, and Lyle, 57, in jail. Although she did not title anybody, Kim, her sister Khloé Kardashian, and their mother, Kris Jenner, went to see the brothers — and different inmates — on the Richard J. Donovan Correctional facility final September.

“You despise me past measure,” Talia added. “Simply say your views are down and preserve it PUSHING.”

n August 20, 1989, Erik and Lyle brutally murdered their dad and mom, Jose and Kitty Menendez, with two 12-gauge shotguns. The brothers had been each discovered responsible of first-degree homicide and sentenced to life in jail with out the chance for parole.

Their testimony, in addition to testimony from lots of their kinfolk, alleged years of bodily and psychological abuse from each dad and mom, however primarily by the hands of their father. Erik and Lyle claimed their father sexually molested them for years, one thing which they had been prohibited from testifying about of their second trial, after the primary led to a hung jury.

Former L.A. County District Lawyer George Gascón requested in October 2024 that they be resentenced after serving practically 35 years behind bars. He really helpful having their sentences modified to 50 years to life — which implies, if the decide agreed, they might be eligible for parole instantly since they had been below 26 on the time of the crimes.

Erik and Lyle had been resentenced in Might, and have become eligible for parole.

Following Erik’s practically 10-hour listening to on Thursday, the California Board of Parole denied his parole, deciding that Erik would proceed to “pose an unreasonable threat to public security,” in accordance with TMZ.

The board cited his felony conduct on the time of the 1989 murders, the character of the killings of his dad and mom, and what it described a “severe violations” of jail guidelines — the latter of which Board of Parole Commissioner Robert Barton stated was the “major purpose” for his denial.

Each brothers had been cited for contraband cell telephones, which they argued was primarily to remain in communication with their wives. However, it is a “severe violation” to prisons as cell telephones can be utilized to coordinate outdoors violence, gang hits, and different felony exercise.

Equally, the board declared on Friday that “there are nonetheless indicators” that Lyle additionally poses a threat to the general public, in accordance with USA As we speak. Parole Commissioner Julie Garland stated in asserting his parole denial that the board believes that whereas he’s sorry for the homicide of his dad and mom, he nonetheless exhibits indicators of anti-social conduct.

Referring to his work mentoring different prisoners and founding a beautification undertaking for jail inexperienced areas, Garland stated, “Don’t ever not have hope … this denial isn’t … it’s not the top. It’s a method so that you can spend a while to exhibit, to follow what you preach about who you’re, who you need to be. Don’t be someone totally different behind closed doorways.”

Speaking on his 2 Indignant Males podcast with TMZ’s Harvey Levin after the choices, the Menendez’s lawyer Merk Geragos slammed the board for making such an enormous deal concerning the brothers’ use of cell telephones to justify holding them. He referred to as the listening to a “s–t present,” per TMZ, and vowed to enchantment to California Governor Gavin Newsom to overrule the board.