Brother of “Monsters” Star Cooper Koch Says He 'Cares Immensely' for Victims amid Backlash Over Menendez Brothers Series

Payton Koch said his brother, who plays Erik in 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story', "did everything he could" to tell the brothers' story of abuse

Cooper Koch plays Erik Menendez in Ryan Murphy's latest installment of the Monsters anthology series, and now, the actor's brother is speaking out amid backlash to the show.

On Sept. 19, Cooper's brother Payton shared a carousel of photos on Instagram from the set of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story — in which Cooper stars as Erik and Nicholas Alexander Chavez plays Lyle — as he wrote that he's "never felt more proud" of his brother than after seeing him take on the role of Erik.

In the comments, several people shared their opinions on the series, which tells the story of the brothers who murdered their parents José and Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home in 1989 and were sentenced to life in prison in 1996.

Related: Kim Kardashian and Monsters Star Cooper Koch Visit Erik and Lyle Menendez in San Diego Prison

One person referenced Erik's statement about the series — which he said was full of "blatant lies" — which prompted Payton to respond.

"I won't speak for Cooper but I will say that he cares immensely for the boys and stands with them and all victims of abuse," Payton wrote in a comment on Sept. 20.

"He did everything he could to ensure their stories of abuse were seen on screen and I think in episode 5, it is abundantly clear where he stands," Payton continued of the series, which sees Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny play the brothers' slain parents José and Kitty.

Payton, who is a film editor who has worked on Only Murders in the Building, added that actors are "only vessels for the writers/producers of the show. Any true story portrayal is going to be tough, but please trust me when I say he does care about them and their story ❤️‍🩹."

Related: See the Cast of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story Side-by-Side with the Real People They Play

Erik, now 53, and Lyle, 56, alleged in court that they were physically and sexually abused by their father José, who was 45 when he died, and that their mother Kitty, who was 47, was addicted to drugs and alcohol as well as being physically abusive and an enabler of her husband.

They were tried three separate times following the murders before they were convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison. They both remain at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.

In 2017, Lyle spoke to PEOPLE about the trial in a rare interview from prison as he called the murders "the most astounding and regrettable thing that has happened in my life."

Regarding his and Erik's allegations of sexual abuse, Lyle said, "There's always going to be skepticism. People think I just hopped up on the witness stand and told a story that a sleazy defense attorney made up. But many people knew there was sexual abuse in this family."

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

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