Menendez Brothers News

Rosie O’Donnell has revealed her friendship with an infamous convicted killer -- Lyle Menendez -- saying she feels "safe" to be vulnerable with him.

The actress, comedian, and former talk show host opened up about their close bond during a recent chat with the New York Times ... revealing she and Lyle -- who is serving life in prison without parole alongside his brother Erik Menendez for the first degree murder of their parents -- became pals in 2022 after his now-estranged wife reached out to her.

Rosie said she and Lyle began speaking on a "regular basis" via a tablet phone, and their friendship grew naturally.

Erik and Lyle Menendez will get their day in court to seek a new sentence, and possibly win their freedom ... after an intense battle with L.A. County D.A. ended with the judge ruling in the brothers' favor.

The Menendez brothers appeared remotely in the L.A. County courtroom Friday where D.A. Nathan Hochman and his team of prosecutors presented their case to the judge for withdrawing the petition to resentence Erik and Lyle -- a petition that was filed by the previous D.A. George Gascon, and which the newly elected Hochman vehemently opposes.

The brothers -- wearing prison blues -- were seen on a video screen in court, and visibly reacted as prosecutors repeatedly stated that they had not changed since their conviction ... because they never admitted their claim they purchased guns in fear for their lives was a lie.

Cooper Koch, who played Erik Menendez in a Netflix series about the infamous Menendez murders, is showing support for the Menendez Brothers ... because he's in the house for a court hearing for their resentencing petition.

The "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story" star was spotted Friday on his way into a courthouse in Van Nuys, in L.A. ... walking in arm-in-arm with his boyfriend.

At one point, Cooper -- wearing shades and a gray sweater -- stopped to talk to Erik's wife, Tammi Menendez, and Erik's adopted daughter, Talia Menendez.

4:38 PM PT -- Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman tells TMZ ... "In denying parole for Sirhan Sirhan ... Governor Newsom took into account his young age at the time of the crime (24), his lack of any prior arrests or convictions, his difficult upbringing in the war-torn Middle East, his success in getting college degrees and engaging in rehabilitation in prison, his risk score which was the lowest on the scale, his age (77 years old), his diminished health, and the amount of time in prison (54 years).

He continues ... "Notwithstanding those factors, Governor Newsom stated that his lack of full insight into actions and taking complete responsibility for them overweighed the other facts to show that he remained an unreasonable risk of danger to society. Sirhan Sirhan never made up a self-defense defense, never suborned or attempted to suborn perjury, and never lied repeatedly at trial under oath."

He concludes ... "In contrast, while the Menendez brothers have many of the same positive characteristics of Sirhan Sirhan in favor of parole or resentencing, they have never accepted responsibility for lying about their self-defense defense and suborning and attempting to suborn perjury concerning their fabrications of stories of their father violently raping Lyle's girlfriend, their mother trying to poison the family, and their friend supposedly giving them a handgun the day before the murders. As a result, if Sirhan remains an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety, then so too do the Menendez brothers -- who have never come fully clean of their lies in over 30 years -- constitute an unreasonable risk of danger to the community."

Sirhan Sirhan's lawyer is calling out Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman ... saying the new D.A. is getting some bad information about RFK's alleged assassin.

Hochman's been trying to use the Sirhan case to keep the Menendez Brothers behind bars in their bid for freedom ... but Sirhan's attorney tells us Hochman is confused about some basic facts.

Angela Berry, who represents Sirhan, tells TMZ ... Hochman is pushing a common misperception about Sirhan when he says Sirhan admitted to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy and then later claimed his innocence, and she says Hochman is making an unfair comparison to Erik and Lyle.

Erik and Lyle Menendez are firing back at Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman ... telling him it's stupid to compare them to Sirhan Sirhan because they actually admitted to killing their parents.

The Menendez Brothers distance themselves from RFK's assassin in new legal docs where they push back on Hochman's motion to withdraw his predecessor’s motion to resentence them.

Hochman's on the record saying Erik and Lyle should not gain their freedom, comparing their case to the denial of parole for Sirhan ... but the brothers say there's no way to seriously put them on the same plane as Sirhan.

Erik and Lyle Menendez say they finally have something to look forward to as they inch closer to a possible release from prison, and they're revealing how they've evolved during their 35 years behind bars.

The brothers tell us why they are -- for the first time since 1990 -- hopeful for the future in our new special, "TMZ Presents: The Menendez Brothers: The Prison Interview" ... premiering tonight on FOX.

Lyle says the word hope is new for them, and Erik says he's striving to be a better person every day and finally beginning to like himself -- but the key for them will be whether the California parole board finds they no longer pose a danger to society.

A Wisconsin teen has an unusual defense for allegedly stabbing his mom to death ... he claims he was inspired to commit the savage crime by the notorious Menendez brothers, who killed their own parents with shotguns.

Racine County prosecutors charged 15-year-old Reed Gelinskey with intentional homicide after the March 4 attack on his mother, Suzanne, in their home in the village of Caledonia, about 20 miles south of Milwaukee. Prosecutors say Reed bashed Suzanne with a dumbbell and stabbed her three times in the chest and twice in the neck, killing her.

According to a criminal complaint, obtained by TMZ, Reed allegedly planned the gruesome murder while watching the shotgun scene in the Menendez brothers' Netflix documentary, "The Menendez Brothers." Reed reportedly referenced the scene that shows the murder of their parents, José and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez, when talking to cops.

As you know, Erik and Lyle Menendez wielded shotguns and fatally shot their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. After two trials, they were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. The brothers are now making a bid to try to get out of prison through resentencing, a commutation or potential parole. They are expected to appear in court for a parole board hearing on June 13.

Erik and Lyle Menendez's family members held another rally to support the incarcerated brothers ... and, it touched on many of the same points they've been making in recent months -- and provided another forum to challenge L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.

Family representatives for the Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition spoke outside Hochman's office in Downtown L.A. According to a press release, the group was set to discuss Hochman's "relentless fixation on the past, as he continues to dismiss who Erik and Lyle are today" ... and, they certainly hit on that.

Before the press conference even began, citizens gathered on the street overlooking the area to show support for the brothers ... bringing signs and wearing shirts calling for justice for Erik and Lyle. One even showed a picture of D.A. Hochman with the words "you're the liar" scrawled across his face.

Big update in the Menendez Brothers case ... California governor Gavin Newsom just revealed when Erik and Lyle will appear before the parole board.

Gavin dropped the bombshell news Tuesday on his new podcast, announcing the convicted killers will go in front of the parole board June 13 for a hearing.

The Governor says after the hearing, the parole board will finalize their risk assessment and send it to his desk ... and he'll consider their findings as part of his decision on whether to grant clemency in their case, which would set them free.

Attorney Mark Geragos says the new Los Angeles County District Attorney has no clue what he's talking about when it comes to the Menendez brothers ... telling us Nathan Hochman needs to brush up on the facts.

Mark, who is repping Erik and Lyle as they seek to get out from prison after three decades behind bars, joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and offered a scathing reaction to Hochman's latest press conference.

For Mark, the whole thing was ridiculous and irrelevant ... and not just because Hochman was talking about a resentencing hearing that no longer holds weight due to California Governor Gavin Newsom circumventing the process.

12 PM PT -- The family of Erik and Lyle Menendez has hit back after L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said he's asking the court to withdraw the previous district attorney's motion to resentence the famed brothers.

In a statement obtained by TMZ they say ... "District Attorney Hochman made it clear today he is holding Erik, Lyle, and our family hostage."

They also claim Hochman has "blinders" on that prevent him from seeing Erik and Lyle were "repeatedly abused" as kids, making them fear for their lives, and that they have apologized multiple times for murdering their parents.

They say the most "alarming" part is the D.A. is sending a message that young boys who are victims of abuse should not come forward.

The L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman just said he wants to withdraw the prior D.A.'s motion to have the Menendez Brothers resentenced, saying what they did in killing their parents was unforgivable and they have not copped to the various lies they told to cover their tracks.

Hochman went through a litany of lies he says were never retracted by Erik and Lyle, and said that's sufficient to turn thumbs down on a resentencing request. He pointed to the jury rejecting any claim of self defense in the second trial. What Hochman ignored, in the first trial, half the jury rejected murder in favor of manslaughter, based on "imperfect self defense." Hochman did not explain the judge in the second trial rejected "imperfect self defense" so the jury never received that instruction.

The bottom line here ... the whole resentencing motion is irrelevant, because if the judge approved it, the case would go to the parole board. Fact is ... the parole board has the case already at the behest of California Governor Gavin Newsom so there is no need for a resentencing hearing anyway.

Lyle and Erik Menendez's uncle who opposed their release from prison has died.

Their cousin Anamaria Baralt confirmed Milton Andersen's death on TikTok Sunday evening, saying he passed from cancer. Furthermore, an obituary was shared by the Thompson & Kuenster Funeral Home in Illinois on March 4.

Anamaria -- who recently spoke to TMZ in favor of Lyle and Erik's release -- told fans that no one should celebrate Milton's death despite him being the only living family member advocating for their continued imprisonment.

Erik and Lyle Menendez will NOT have their day in court this month ... because their upcoming resentencing hearing has been postponed, and it's all because of California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The Menendez Brothers were set to enter a courtroom March 20 and 21 for the first time since their 1990s murder trials ... but now their resentencing hearing is delayed because Newsom ordered an investigation into whether they are fit to return to public life.

Resentencing is now irrelevant for Erik and Lyle, with Newsom short-circuiting the whole process by directing the state's Board of Parole Hearings to conduct a "risk assessment investigation" on the brothers.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard says the Menendez Brothers should pump the brakes before going full Hollywood if they are released from prison ... advising them to enjoy their freedom first.

Gypsy was at LAX Monday night when a photog asked what advice she would give Erik and Lyle if they become free men.

The Menendez Bros are pretty famous and Hollywood is waiting with tons of opportunities, but Gypsy says Erik and Lyle would be wise to take some time to themselves to adjust to life on the outside before getting in front of cameras.

The Menendez brothers' family has a lot of hope after Governor Gavin Newsom spoke about the brothers' case ... though they're still disappointed after L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman's recent comments on Erik and Lyle's case.

The Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition -- a group led by Menendez family members pushing for their release -- held a virtual press conference Thursday where they addressed key facts about Erik and Lyle's case and responded to statements made by L.A.'s top prosecutor.

Anamaria Baralt -- Erik and Lyle's cousin -- kicked off the comments ... saying Governor Newsom calling on the Board of Parole Hearings to conduct a "risk assessment investigation" is a huge sigh of relief for the family, which is excited to hear someone in power is paying attention to Erik and Lyle's plight.

Governor Gavin Newsom's decision to ask the California Board of Parole to review the Erik and Lyle Menendez matter could make next month's up-to-now critical resentencing hearing all but irrelevant.

As we reported, Newsom has asked the Parole Board to conduct a "risk assessment investigation" ... this on the heels of TMZ's "2 Angry Men" podcast in which Erik and Lyle appeared by phone to talk about what they've done with their lives behind bars for 35 years.

The Board will effectively conduct a parole hearing, in which they will assess whether the Menendez brothers pose an unreasonable risk to public safety. By doing so, the Board will necessarily review how Erik and Lyle have conducted themselves in prison.