When Court TV first aired the Menendez case in 1993, the trial took America by storm. Now, Netflix’s newest series from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” delves into the divisive case.

Although the brothers initially said they were not responsible for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, they have stuck to the same defense since confessing to the crimes. Lyle and Erik Menendez allege that their parents physically, emotionally, and sexually abused them for years and that they feared that their parents would kill them if they didn’t act first. That’s what led them to turn shotguns on their parents in 1989.

From what exactly the brothers accused their parents of to the intimacy of Lyle and Erik’s relationship, here’s what we know about the case.

Were the Menendez brothers abused by their parents?

Child abuse has always been a major concern of Menendez’s defense. Both brothers claimed that the sexual abuse began when they were six. It continued in the same vein, starting with José giving them massages after their sports games. It later progressed to their father inserting objects into them, and eventually oral sex and rape. According to the brothers, José never said the encounters were homosexual, especially since he often used homophobic slurs. Instead, he said it was a bonding exercise, similar to what the ancient Spartans or Romans would do.

It wasn’t just José. It was an open secret in the family that if José went to Erik’s room and closed the door, the two were not to be disturbed. It was also common knowledge that José showered with his sons well into their teenage years.

The brothers claimed they told their mother what had happened, but she sent them away. According to their story, she wasn’t innocent either. Lyle said Kitty still bathed him until he was 13. She also took him to bed with her and encouraged him to touch her. She and Erik would inspect his genitals, looking for early signs of HIV.

Lyle alleged that José abused him from about age 6 until he was 8. Erik alleged that his abuse continued into adulthood, prompting the brothers to take action against their parents. Shortly after Lyle learned that the abuse was continuing and that Erik would be staying home for college, he confronted his parents. The brothers alleged that the serious aftermath of that confrontation led them to purchase guns as a means of self-defense.

Were the Menendez brothers in love?

Lyle Menendez admitted on the stand that he had sexually abused his brother. He claimed that he learned this from his father, who the brothers said had sexually abused them both since they were six. Although he admitted this during the trial, Lyle could barely hold back the tears as he apologized to Erik.

Aside from this disturbing revelation, the story that the brothers had an incestuous relationship is not an everyday story or even a common rumor.

In Robert Rand’s “The Menendez Murders: The Shocking Untold Story of the Menendez Family and the Killings that Stunned the Nation,” he describes how one of Erik’s jurors during the first trial suggested that the brothers were romantically involved. The juror theorized that Erik and Lyle’s parents found out about their relationship, which was the real reason the brothers killed their parents. To determine whether this theory was credible, the jury asked for “any testimony or allusion to Erik’s homosexuality” to be read to the court reporter. And because this trial was broadcast on Court TV, most of America knew that the brothers’ sexuality played a major role in at least one jury’s decision. The theory was ultimately rejected, and both Erik’s and Lyle’s first trials ended in a jury unable to reach a verdict.

Many also noted that Lyle was protective of his younger brother. But aside from those details, the implication that the two were romantically involved seems fictional. It could also be that “Monsters” portrayed the brothers in this light to show how this family combined familial love with romantic intimacy, and to dramatize the rumors that had been swirling around Lyle and Erik.

The Sexuality of Erik Menendez

Before we dive into this complex topic, it is important to note that both brothers are currently married to women. Lyle first married Anna Eriksson before getting divorced in 2003 and marrying Rebecca Sneed. As for Erik, he married Tammi Saccoman in 1999.

Although Lyle’s sexuality was rarely questioned during the trials, Erik’s was. When he took the stand during the first trial, Erik admitted that he was “really confused” about his sexuality. This admission was tied to Erik’s detailed description of the sexual abuse he said he suffered at the hands of his father. His mother’s demands that he get a girlfriend were also part of the case. Kitty Menendez allegedly told Erik that he had six months to find a young woman to date.

There were also rumors that Erik had performed oral sex on inmates while in prison. In Robert Hofler’s “Money, Murder, and Dominick Dunne: A Life in Several Acts,” he wrote: “‘There was a homosexual undertone that ran through the trial,’ said the prosecutor, Pamela Bozanich, with whom Dunne became fast friends. ‘We knew Erik was gay and had performed oral sex on the inmates.’ They also knew that homoerotic photographs had been taken of Erik.”

That said, Erik Menendez has consistently denied being gay. The defense repeatedly opposed any reference by the prosecution to Erik’s sexuality. They also opposed the insinuation that Erik used details of his alleged homosexual lifestyle to steer his descriptions of the abuse he experienced at the hands of his father.

Despite the defense’s repeated attempts to deflect attention from Erik’s sexuality, it became a major part of the first trial. The prosecution even argued that the big secret the Menendez family was hiding was Erik’s homosexuality, rather than José’s sexual, physical and emotional abuse, as the defense argued. Many members of the jury said they did not believe this specific defense claim.

“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” is now streaming on Netflix.