Menendez brothers' aunt confirms Erik's chilling habit hinted at in Netflix series

The aunt of the infamous Menendez brothers has spoken out, revealing chilling details linked to an aspect of their story depicted in the Netflix series.

Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story shows the grisly 1989 murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez by their sons.

It also details the ensuing murder trials where the brothers were eventually convicted and jailed for life.

During the trial, Lyle and Erik claimed they endured sexual abuse by their father and killed him out of fear for their lives.

Netflix's portrayal of the gruesome saga includes one episode with a protracted 30-minute scene focusing on actor Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez, recounting the alleged abuse.

Erik's harrowing claim that he seasoned his food with lemon for it to "taste better" during the assaults is shown in harrowing detail.

Joan VanderMolen, Kitty Menendez's sister, has now spoken out in a Vanity Fair interview about her nephews' abuse allegations after appearing in the recent documentary, reports the Mirror.

Recalling a visit to Texas with her family, Joan remarked: "We had a table that fit all of us, and Erik simply refused to eat unless he had lemon. And my dad could not fathom what the problem was. No matter what my dad did or said it didn't change."

She added: "He had to have lemon. And it turns out that he was being assaulted by his dad."

Viewers of the Netflix series will recall this detail being mentioned, and according to his aunt, it's a habit that has stuck with him all these years later.

Joan revealed: "And to this day Erik has to have his lemon. That was so ingrained in him. He couldn't enjoy a meal without his lemon because of the assaults. You don't get over something like that. He still needs lemon with his meals. It's a habit now."

She also alleges that her daughter attempted to inform Kitty about the abuse, but she refused to believe it. She claimed that her brother is the only family member who hasn't supported them since their conviction.

The judge in the second murder trial did not allow any evidence related to the sexual abuse allegations, which is something that still troubles Joan.

She stated: "Everything their lawyer said was shut dry down. [Leslie Abramson] couldn't get anything [admitted into evidence]. It was like the abuse never happened. It wasn't fair at all. I don't know how the jury reached a verdict after a trial so nuts."

"I-we, the family-love Erik and Lyle. I hope our support gets them where they should be, and that's not in prison."