Rosie O’Donnell Supports Menendez Brothers’ Release, Accuses DA of Using Them for Publicity: ‘Truth Does Come Out’ | Video

Rosie O’Donnell accused Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman of using Erik and Lyle Menendez for publicity, adding that “the truth [will] come out” in the brothers’ case.

In an interview with Andy Cohen, O’Donnell, who has advocated for the incarcerated siblings even before their case was revived by Netflix’s “Monsters” series, O’Donnell said, “I think the district attorney is using them for publicity.”

Referring to the clemency request put in to California Governor by previous DA George Gascón, she said she hoped that Gavin Newsom would “pay attention” to the public swell of support for the brothers and pardon them and/or commute their sentence down to manslaughter.” She pointed out, “They’ve already served almost 35 years.”

Hochman, who was elected in November 2024, has repeatedly stated that, despite corroboration from an additional victim and the support of most of the Menendez family, he does not believe Lyle and Erik Menendez’ account of sexual abuse by their father, Jose Menendez. The brothers shot and killed both their parents in 1989 and were sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1996.

O’Donnell said, “There’s been so much proof that they were sexually abused and horrifically tortured their whole life. Their whole family — the extended family of the parents they murdered — supports them. Everyone agrees that this happened.”

She told Cohen, “I really feel that they are going to get out, because in the end, the truth does come out.”

Erik and Lyle, as well as other members of the Menendez Family have asked Hochman to recuse himself from the case. In response, Hochman said their request was “devoid of merit.”

As she pointed out, the sexual abuse was not permitted as a defense in their second trial, in which they were convicted. “In the first trial, there were hung juries. In the second trial, the DA had just lost the O.J. case, and they weren’t going to lose another one,” she said, calling the trial part of “a malfunctioning judicial system.”

O’Donnell argued that the things Lyle and Erik have done in prison, including training guide dogs for blind people, veterans, and children with autism, should qualify them for parole and resentencing. The comedian recently talked about her new documentary, which is about how much a guide dog helped her child with autism.

O’Donnell is a longtime advocate for the brothers, having first come out in support of their defense argument in 1996. She was introduced to Lyle Menendez by his wife in 2022 and they have since become close friends.

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