Roy Rosello, the former Menudo band member, has come forward with explosive allegations that add a new layer of complexity to the infamous Menendez brothers case.
In an astonishing statement, Rosello claims that he was sexually abused by the father of Erik and Lyle Menendez, RCA Records executive Jose Menendez, when he was just 14 years old. This revelation has stirred a renewed debate over the brothers' motivations for the 1989 murders of their parents.
Roy Rosello,
In 2023, Roy Rosello publicly shared that he had been sexually assaulted by Jose Menendez, a claim he now says he witnessed firsthand regarding the abuse Erik and Lyle also suffered.
Rosello, now 54, alleges that he was repeatedly assaulted during his time in Menudo, starting when he was only 13 years old.
Roy Rosello,
This new testimony came as Rosello filed a habeas corpus petition, asking for the resentencing of Erik, 53, and Lyle, 56.
The petition argues that their years of abuse, particularly at the hands of their father, should be taken into account, potentially leading to a reduced sentence or a reconsideration of the circumstances surrounding their crimes.
The Menendez brothers have long claimed that their 1989 murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, was not premeditated, but rather an act of self-defense.
They argue that years of abuse—sexual and physical—at the hands of their father, combined with their mother's failure to stop it, led to a breaking point.
During their trial, these claims were central to their defense, though the jury did not believe the brothers' allegations, ultimately convicting them of first-degree murder.
Erik and Lyle Menendez
Rosello’s testimony now adds weight to the brothers’ claims, suggesting that their traumatic upbringing could have influenced their violent actions.
This new dimension in the case calls into question whether justice was truly served in light of the psychological and emotional trauma the brothers endured.
Since the brothers’ conviction, there has been significant legal back-and-forth regarding their case. In 2023, former Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon supported the idea of resentencing, suggesting that the brothers’ sentences might be reconsidered, given the abuse they endured.
However, current District Attorney Nathan Hochman has taken a firm stance against this.
On February 21, 2025, Hochman rejected the idea of resentencing, dismissing Rosello’s allegations as “untrustworthy.”
He argued that while the abuse could have been a motivation for the murders, it did not justify the brothers’ actions as self-defense.
Hochman pointed out that the brothers had planned and premeditated the murders, including staging the crime scene, which contradicted their claim of acting in self-defense.
In a passionate interview with the U.S. Sun, Rosello criticized the justice system for failing to acknowledge the abuse that men, like him, suffer in silence.
"One fatal mistake... was that society was not ready to understand that men and boys are abused as well,” he said, adding that both the legal system and society ignored male victims of abuse for far too long.
Rosello went on to emphasize that his experience was not a singular incident.
“It was not only once,” he said, describing how he witnessed the abuse the Menendez brothers endured and detailing his own trauma at the hands of Jose Menendez.
Jose and Kitty Menendez
In the 2023 Peacock documentary Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed, Rosello vividly recalled how, after meeting Jose Menendez, he was given a drink that caused him to lose consciousness.
He later woke up in excruciating pain, in a New York City hotel room, with no memory of how he got there. This was followed up the Netflix smash hit, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Jose Menendez was of course a rich and powerful figure in the entertainment industry and very well connected. Following the murder of the Menendez parents, questions have be raised as to what happened to the substantial sums of money left behind by Jose and Kitty Menendez.
The surviving family members of the Menendez brothers have been vocal in their disappointment with District Attorney Hochman’s stance.
In a public statement, they expressed that his refusal to consider the new evidence felt like a “reopening of old wounds” for their family. They pointed out that the lasting effects of trauma do not simply disappear and that abuse does not exist in a vacuum.
“The trauma they experienced rewired their brains,” the family said, urging Judge Jesic to examine the new evidence with the understanding of modern trauma science.
They also expressed hope that the court would review the case impartially, taking into account the brothers’ rehabilitation efforts over the years.
The next chapter in the Menendez brothers’ legal battle timeline is set to unfold in March 2025.
The brothers will appear in court for hearings that will determine whether they have been rehabilitated during their time in prison. These hearings, however, will not revisit the facts of the original case or the question of guilt.
In addition to the parole hearings, Erik and Lyle are pursuing clemency from California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Governor Newsom has ordered a comprehensive risk assessment to determine whether the brothers pose a threat to public safety. The results of this assessment, which should be completed within 90 days, will likely play a key role in the decision regarding their potential release.
The Menendez brothers case remains one of the most controversial and emotionally charged criminal cases in recent history. At its heart, it raises difficult questions about trauma, justice, and accountability.
Rosello’s allegations have sparked renewed debate about how society and the legal system should handle cases involving abuse victims who later commit violent acts.
As the Menendez brothers continue to fight for their freedom, their case serves as a reminder of the deep, lasting scars that abuse can leave on its victims—and the difficulty of reconciling that trauma with the pursuit of justice.
