September 24, 2024 12:11
Did Lyle Menendez wear a wig? The truth behind his alopecia revealed. Photo: Netflix
Sam Prince
Why was Lyle Menendez bald? In Netflix’s Monsters, Lyle wears a wig, but did he wear one in real life? And how did he lose his hair?
Warning: This article contains details about sexual assault and abuse.
If you’re watching Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story and wondering if Lyle Menendez was really bald, here’s your answer… turns out the show’s shocking hairpiece scene was based on a story told by Erik Menendez during his brother’s trial.
Like its predecessor, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Monster: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story tells the tragic true story of the Menendez family, who became a global news topic in the ’90s when Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik Menendez (Cooper Koch) were charged with the murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez.
Lyle and Eric’s trial aired on television, and many scenes in the new Netflix series are directly inspired by the claims Lyle and Eric made during that trial, including the story behind Lyle’s wig, which is depicted in the show.
Was Lyle Menendez wearing a wig?
Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez Trailer
In the first episode of Monsters, Eric confesses to his therapist that he and Lyle killed his parents, claims that his parents were abusive, and describes an intense exchange in which Lyle told his parents he was in love with his girlfriend, Jamie Lee Pisarcik, and wanted to settle down and get married, something that Jose and Kitty then make clear they don’t approve of.
At first, they start yelling at Lyle. Lyle then calls his mother, Kitty, a hypocrite for marrying his father at a young age. Kitty responds by calling Lyle a hypocrite and ripping off his wig to reveal he is bald. Lyle runs off, and Eric confronts him, claiming he didn’t know. Lyle explains that he started losing his hair three years ago, and that Jose forced him to buy a wig.
Eric claims that this incident was what prompted him and Lyle to decide to murder his parents, but this is based on actual statements made by Lyle and Eric during their trial: They testified that Kitty ripped off Lyle’s wig just five days before the murders, and that the exposure of this secret prompted Lyle and Eric to confide in each other.
Eric claimed that this was the first time he’d heard about Lyle’s hair loss, but Jamie Lee Pisarcik claimed that Eric had known about it for years.
Is Nicholas Alexander Chavez bald?
Unlike Lyle, the actor who plays him, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, is not bald in real life, but on the show he wears a bald cap, complete with prosthetics and makeup.
Did Lyle Menendez wear a wig? The real-life trial of the Menendez brothers in Los Angeles. Photo: Ted Socchi/Sigma via Getty Images
Why did Lyle and Erik Menendez kill their parents?
According to the brothers’ testimony, the wig incident prompted Eric to tell Lyle that his father had sexually abused him since he was 6 years old. Lyle then told Eric that he had also raped Jose as a child, but had stopped around the time he began abusing Lyle. Realizing that they had both been abused, the two decided to kill their parents.
Why was Lyle Menendez bald?
Some have speculated that Lyle’s hair loss may have been linked to anxiety caused by an abusive father, but this has never been confirmed. However, Lyle’s hair loss was real: According to Vanity Fair, Lyle ordered a human hair wig from the Hair Replacement Center in Los Angeles for $1,450 in 1988, and purchased many more wigs over the years.
Although Lyle was not allowed to wear a wig in prison, he wore one throughout his trial.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, the following organizations may be able to help:
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