Lyle and Erik Menendez could be swapping prison for the ballroom, according to inside sources who claim Dancing with the Stars bosses are eager to sign the incarcerated brothers should they be released.
The brothers are currently serving life sentences after they were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989, but they could receive a new trial in the wake of Ryan Murphy’s gripping Netflix drama, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Dancing with the Stars bosses are always on the hunt for controversial contestants and believe hiring Lyle, 56, and Erik, 53, would guarantee a “ratings bonanza.”
There are concerns the decision could prove divisive given professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev will not be asked to return following his arrest for domestic violence, but bosses are “not afraid” of the appearance.
“When the Menendez brothers find freedom, the next step for them will be to return to real life and they will look to make money,” an exclusive source told DailyMail.com.
The Menendez brothers, Erik and Lyle, are being watched on Dancing with the Stars, sources told DailyMail.com.
The couple was convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents in a crime that shocked the nation.
‘Dancing with the Stars bosses have already discussed the possibility of signing them for future seasons.
‘The show goes after risk actors like this and I would definitely look to bring them in if they ever get out of prison.
“The story would be captivating, as well as talking about redemption on the show.”
DailyMail.com has contacted Dancing with the Stars for comment.
Erik and Lyle, who could soon be granted a new trial, returned to the public consciousness following the release of Netflix’s Monsters on September 19.
The 10-episode series depicts the brothers as spoiled brats who became very spent after gunning down their parents.
Erik is played by Cooper Koch, while Nicholas Alexander Chavez plays Lyle.
Chloë Sevigny and Javier Bardem play his parents Kitty and José Menendez.
Last month, Erik criticized the miniseries on Lyle’s Facebook page, criticizing showrunner Ryan for what he called his “horrible” and “blatant lies.”
The brothers claimed they killed their parents due to alleged abuse by their father José Menéndez (center right).
The brothers could be getting a new trial in the wake of Ryan Murphy’s gripping Netflix drama. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story highlighted their story.
“I thought we had gone beyond the lies and ruinous portrayals of Lyle’s characters, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in the horrible, blatant lies that run rampant on the show,” he wrote. ‘I can only believe they did it on purpose.
“It is with a heavy heart that I say that I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be so naïve and inaccurate about the facts of our lives to do this without malicious intent.”
He continued: “It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s dishonest depiction of the tragedies surrounding our crime has taken painful truths back several steps in time, to an era when the prosecution constructed a narrative based on a system of beliefs that men were not sexually abused, and that men experienced the trauma of rape differently than women.’
Sources close to Dancing with the Stars worry that including them in future seasons is a “double standard.”
‘The bosses are in no rush to welcome Artem, but they would consider the Menéndez brothers a ratings bonanza. We are talking about a double standard.
Artem was not asked to return for season 33, a decision that was made just before he was arrested for domestic abuse.
In legal documents, Artem accused his ex-wife Nikki Garcia of fabricating the allegations, which he denies, that led to his arrest.
There are concerns that the decision could prove divisive given that Artem Chigvintsev was fired from DWTS following his arrest for domestic violence (pictured with wife Nikki Garcia).
Lyle and Erik would not be the first contestants to serve time to appear on the series after false heiress Anna Delvey participated this season.
Lyle and Erik wouldn’t be the first contestants to serve time to appear on the dazzling ABC series.
Earlier this year, bosses were reprimanded for choosing fake heiress Anna Delvey, who defrauded people out of $275,000.
Anna, 33, was arrested in 2017 and convicted of grand larceny, second-degree larceny and theft of services.
The scammer was sentenced to between four and 12 years in prison and was released in 2022 under house arrest. He was also banned from using social media.
Anna, who was among the first celebrities to be eliminated from the 2024 season, wore an ankle monitor in her Dancing with the Stars promotional photo.