Was Lyle Menéndez Bald? Explaining His Hair Loss and Toupee in ‘Monsters’

While the trial of Lyle and Erik Menendez captivated millions around the world back in 1996, Netflix’s new series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story , has once again brought the controversial brothers into the spotlight. In the latest project from Ryan Murphy, the first episode ( “Blame it on the Rain” ) features a scene in which elder brother Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) has a toupee ripped from the top of his head in the heat of an argument with his mother, Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez (Chloë Sevigny). The moment, just over halfway through the pilot, took some viewers by shock and confusion as they were unaware of the hairpiece that would go on to change the course of the family’s history.

According to his own testimony from the murder trial, Lyle began experiencing hair loss at a young age and struggled with his personal appearance as a result of the issue. While it is not clear what led to the hair loss, the eldest son claimed it was something his father, José Menendez (Javier Bardem), was ashamed of. The brothers made it clear to the court that their father put massive amounts of pressure on them growing up and hoped to have an illustrious career in politics, something he reportedly wished his sons would also go into. They also have claimed that José was adamant Lyle’s bright future – he was a student at Princeton University – would be dashed as people correlate stature and success to a full head of hair.

During the pivotal scene in Monsters, Lyle and Kitty are arguing back and forth over Lyle’s insistence that he is old enough to marry his then-girlfriend, Jamie Pisarcik (Jade Pettyjohn), at 20 years old, a point that Kitty strongly disagrees with. Lyle repeatedly points out that his mother is being hypocritical as she and José were similarly married at a young age, which is when the big reveal occurs.

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“Hypocrite, huh? What about this?” Kitty yells, pulling off Lyle’s hairpiece as he begins crying and runs out in pain. Erik (Cooper Koch), follows his brother and confronts him about the situation in a scene that sets the stage for the next eight episodes.

“I didn’t know that, how come I didn’t know that?” Erik asks as Lyle responds, “Because I didn’t want you to know, that’s the fucking point, Erik. Nobody’s supposed to know.”

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While it may seem inconsequential, the Netflix series needs the viewers to understand that the situation – specifically Kitty’s decision to rip the hair piece off and José’s insistence that Lyle wear a toupee, in general – is a turning point in the family dynamic.

Episode 1 sees Erik explaining to his therapist what led to them killing their mother and father, including the admission that Lyle’s hair loss was symbolic of greater familial issues. Ultimately, the brothers would go on to commit double homicide, shooting and killing both of their parents on Aug. 20, 1989, in what they claimed to be an act of self-defense after years of alleged abuse and mistreatment.

“And I suddenly saw how cruel it was,” Erik tells his therapist in the scene after the hairpiece reveal, “What was going on in that house.”

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For the purpose of the Murphy series, the shocking toupee interaction served as one major part of the catalyst for the brothers to come to the decision to murder their mother and father. In real life, the brothers have shared that this is one true fact about the show. In Robert Band’s book, “The Menendez Murders,” which the show is based on, the argument did happen roughly one week out from Kitty and José’s murders, although the brothers more-so commiserated over their lack of family cohesiveness rather than plotting and planning for what would soon happen. Either way, Lyle’s hair loss is a major and true part of the wild story.

Today, it would appear that Lyle has been fully bald for some number of years, as evidenced by photos of him in prison – this is in contrast to the look from Episode 1, which sees Chavez as Lyle with hair covering at least the sides of his head. Erik, meanwhile, appears to still have a full head of hair based on recent pictures.

Both brothers are currently serving sentences of life without parole at the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California after being found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder.

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

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