‘Monsters’ Star Cooper Koch Says He Spoke With Erik Menendez After Life Sentence Reduction: He Wants to Make ‘A Lot of Change in the Prison System’

'Monsters' Star Cooper Koch Says He Spoke With Erik Menendez After Life Sentence Reduction: He Wants to Make 'A Lot of Change in the Prison System'

Cooper Koch, who starred as Erik Menendez in "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," opened up about his conversation with his real-life counterpart after a Los Angeles judgerecently reduced the life sentences of the Menendez brothers. "I'm so grateful that that happened," Koch said of the resentencing at a "Monsters" FYC event Tuesday. "And so is Erik [Menendez], I spoke to him yesterday and he is so excited." More from Variety Los Angeles Judge Reduces Menendez Brothers' Life Sentence, Now Eligible for Parole Hearing Menendez Brothers' Resentencing Hearing Postponed Menendez Brothers Score Court Win, as Judge Allows Resentencing to Proceed Cooper Koch on the Menendez brothers' resentencing: "I actually spoke to Erik yesterday."pic.twitter.com/1jUpNVePhD — Variety (@Variety)May 21, 2025 Koch went on to say that "the most inspiring" thing he heard from Erik Menendez was his passion for what he plans to do after he gets out, which includes working towards "a lot of change in the prison system." "He is going to be an advocate for other people who have L.W.O.P, which is life without parole," Koch explained. "His life is going to surround making change in the prison system, and I just think that is so beautiful." Koch shared that Erik Menendez hopes that if he and his brother are released from prison, that in "10 years, people look back and they say, 'We really made the right decision. Thank God we let them out.'" The ruling gives Erik and Lyle hope for being released from prison after serving 35 years for murdering their parents in 1989. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic moved to reduce the Menendez brothers' original sentences of life without parole to 50 years to life. Because they were under the age of 26 at the time of their crime, they now have a shot at parole under California's Youthful Offender law. However, the brothers must still receive the nod from the state parole board before they are released. Public interest in the case heightened after release of Ryan Murphy's "Monsters" series about the murder and trial in September 2024. District Attorney George Gascón came out in favor ofreducing their sentences to 50 years to life in October. However, he lost re-election to Nathan Hochman,who withdrew the office's request to reduce the sentencings. Gascón, a criminal justice reformer, found that the brothers had been rehabilitated after 35 years behind bars. The Menendez family has argued that new evidence supports the claim that the brothers were sexually abused by their father, and that attitudes about abuse have evolved over the last three decades. Hochman has said the brothers have failed to acknowledge that their claim of self-defense was "fabricated," and thus have not taken responsibility for the crimes. Kochvisited the brothers in prison with Kim Kardashianin September. "We just looked at each other, and immediately embraced,"the actor said of Erik said shortly after that visit. "He was so kind. Lyle, too, I got to hug both of them and just be in their presence. They're such upstanding individuals. They've done so much work in their prison. Erik teaches meditation and speech classes, and they're doing this Greenspace project to improve the prison grounds. It was just amazing." Koch also previously said that he first talked to Erik the night before "Monsters" premiered on Netflix. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Apple Holds Strong for Top Series Races With 'Severance' and 'The Studio'; Netflix and FX Could Dominate Doc and Writing Races Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.

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‘Monsters’ Star Cooper Koch Says He Spoke With Erik Menendez After Life Sentence Reduction: He Wants to Make ‘A Lot of Change in the Prison System’

'Monsters' Star Cooper Koch Says He Spoke With Erik Menendez After Life Sentence Reduction: He Wants to Make 'A Lot of Change in...

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Spike Lee thinks “Highest 2 Lowest” may be his final Denzel Washington collab due to the actor's impending retirement

Spike Lee thinks "Highest 2 Lowest" may be his final Denzel Washington collab due to the actor's impending retirement

SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Spike Leebelieves he's reached the end of the road with longtime collaboratorDenzel Washington. TheDo the Right Thingfilmmakertold journalists at the Cannes Film Festivalthat after making five films with the legendaryEqualizerstar, the duo probably won't work together again after their newest movie hits theaters. "It's been a blessing to just have this body of work of us doing films that people love," Lee said at a Cannes press conference promoting his latest film with Washington,Highest 2 Lowest. "I don't know if we're going to do any [more] — I think this is it: five." Lee and Washington first teamed up for 1990's jazz dramedyMo' Better Blues. They followed that collaboration with 1992's civil rights biopicMalcolm X, for which Washington received an Oscar nomination. In 1998, Lee directed Washington in the basketball dramaHe Got Game, and in 2006, they worked together once more on the heist-hostage thrillerInside Man. Their fifth film,Highest 2 Lowest, is a reinterpretation ofAkira Kurosawa's classic 1963 crime proceduralHigh and Low. TheBlacKkKlansmanfilmmaker said that he expects his creative partnership with Washington to end due to the actor's repeated claims that he's nearing retirement. "He's been talking about retirement — even though he just did another deal," Lee said. "I thought he's going to retire! What's up? But the five films together, you know, they stand up." While promotingGladiator IIlast year, Washingtonsaidthat he plans to retireafter a few upcoming projects. Those future films includea historical drama about Carthaginian general Hannibalthat will reunite him withTraining Daydirector Antoine Fuqua, an unknown collaboration with12 Years a SlavefilmmakerSteve McQueen, a film adaptation of his BroadwayOthelloproduction, aKing Learmovie, andBlack Panther 3. "After that, I'm gonna retire," the actor said on Australia'sTodayshow. Everett Collection Washington later qualified that statement, suggesting that he might not fully retire, but instead substantially decrease his film output and focus exclusively on working with top-tier filmmakers. "I didn't say I was going to go into retirement. I said that it has to be a level of interest for me," Washingtontold BuzzFeed. "I'm notretiring. It's not like on June 5, that's it. But to think I'm going to run as far as [Gladiator IIcostarsPaul Mescaland Fred Hechinger] are, I'd be a fool." Want more movie news? Sign up forEntertainment Weekly'sfree newsletterto get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more. Washington's involvement in a potential thirdBlack Pantherfilm was unknown until he listed it among his upcoming projects. The actor said thathe contacted the franchise's director,Ryan Coogler, to apologize for letting the cat out of the bag. "I called him. I said, 'I'm sorry, man.' He's like, 'No, man, it's all good,'" he recalled of his interaction with theSinnersfilmmaker in an episode of theVariety Awards Circuitpodcast. "I don't know what he's got cooking for me." Black Panther 3producer Nate Moorediscussed Washington's potential involvement in the filmin an interview withEntertainment Weekly. "When we saw that story, I know Ryan was like, 'Well, what is he saying?'" the producer said of Washington spilling the beans. "We should be so lucky to have Denzel in the MCU. But until we figure out what that movie is, again, nothing is guaranteed. But if you're asking me, would I love to have Denzel inBlack Panther 3? Obviously, that guy, he is a legend." Highest 2 Lowesthits theaters August 22 before releasing on Apple TV+ September 5. Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

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Spike Lee thinks “Highest 2 Lowest” may be his final Denzel Washington collab due to the actor's impending retirement

Spike Lee thinks "Highest 2 Lowest" may be his final Denzel Washington collab due to the actor's impending retirement SAMEER A...

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Unsure of what to do if you're detained at customs? Social videos are walking people through their rights

Unsure of what to do if you're detained at customs? Social videos are walking people through their rights

A video from an immigration lawyer offering advice on what rights U.S. citizens and visa holders have if stopped by customs at airports is going viral on TikTok, racking up more than 8 million views. Thepost from New York-based immigration lawyer Brad Bernsteincomes on the heels of accounts from TikTok users who say they are American citizens but were detained for hours and had their phones or luggage searched when entering the country. The videos — and the detailsTwitch streamer Hasan Piker sharedabout being stopped and questioned at Chicago O'Hare International Airport — have many wondering what to do and what rights they have if they are detained by U.S. customs officials. Bernstein said one of the biggest questions he hears is whether all constitutional rights are protected during CBP screenings. "The Supreme Court has ruled that the Constitution doesn't apply until you've entered the United States of America," Bernstein said. "And although you're physically in the United States at an airport, you're not considered to have entered the United States under immigration law until you pass through immigration and customs." NBC News legal analyst Danny Cevallos explained that the Supreme Court has held "that routine searches at the border do not require a warrant, probable cause, or even reasonable suspicion, due to the government's inherent sovereign interest in protecting its territorial integrity." Bernstein said that individual protections depend heavily on a traveler's citizenship status, and that those on visas or green card holders have less protection. "A U.S. citizen has to be allowed back into the United States. The government cannot take your U.S. passport away, they cannot take your citizenship away," Bernstein said. But he advised caution. "There is a much lower standard of constitutional authority at the airport, versus just walking around locally on our streets, where the Fourth Amendment of illegal search and seizure would apply," he said. Statistically, advanced searches are rare, but it's important to plan ahead, Bernstein said. Travelers who want to protect their privacy going through CBP should only take electronics that are absolutely necessary when traveling, log out of cloud-based services and consider taking a secondary phone when going abroad, he advised. Above all, even though these searches can be intimidating, it's best to stay calm and tell the truth. "The more you say no, the more questions you're going to have. And the longer your stay at the airport is going to be," Bernstein said. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, U.S. citizens don't need to carry proof of citizenship with them in the country. "If you have valid immigration documents and are over the age of 18, the law does require you to carry those documents on you. If you are asked by an immigration agent to produce them, it is advisable to show the documents to the agent or you risk being arrested,"the ACLU website reads. TikTok creator Savanna, who says she is an American citizen born in the U.S., said she was stopped and questioned by CBP for more than two hours at an airport in Miami. Her video about the encounter has receivedmore than 2 million viewson TikTok. In it, she describes customs officials scrolling through her socials and repeatedly questioning her about how much money she made daily on TikTok. "I've been traveling out of the country and I've never had this problem," she told NBC News. "But the one thing that did change between February and now, or February and April, was that I created 'Trump for the Dump.'" Savanna said the line is a satirical clothing brand she created with the intention of donating the profits to humanitarian causes. The Department of Homeland Securityreposted Savanna's video on Xand said that she was not stopped because of political reasons. "Lawful travellers have nothing to fear from these measures, which are designed to protect our nation's security," DHS said in a statement, adding "allegations that political beliefs trigger inspections or removals are baseless and irresponsible." DHS saidits datashows that overall border searches have increased since last year but advanced screenings have slightly declined. Cevallos pointed to a recent federal case that determined "basic" electronic device searches at the border are constitutional. "This has been criticized as an 'interpretation of the Fourth Amendment that threatens individuals' privacy interests at the border,'" Cevallos said. Piker, the streamer and American political pundit known on Twitch as HasanAbi, said he believes he was stopped by CBP on his return trip from France on May 11 because of his political views,a reasoning that DHS also disputes. "I was invited to the back room to be questioned on my opinions on a multitude of different things from Donald Trump to Israel, Palestine," he told NBC News. Piker said he wasn't surprised when he was asked to step aside by agents. "I knew that it was most likely going to happen because I'd heard so many reports of this happening to immigration attorneys and even TikTokers and stuff that have said negative things about Donald Trump," he said. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said ina post on Xthat Piker was "Lying for 'likes.'" "I thought it was really funny cause they admitted that it happened," Piker said in response to McLaughlin's post. "The parts that they omitted that I think is very nefarious is that like, is this an admission that asking people about their loyalty to the current administration or their opinion on Israel-Palestine is a part of a routine investigation? Because there's nothing routine about that at all. It's not pertinent to my entry into the country as an American citizen."

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Unsure of what to do if you're detained at customs? Social videos are walking people through their rights

Unsure of what to do if you're detained at customs? Social videos are walking people through their rights A video from an immigration la...

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Netanyahu says even his allies can't take "images of mass famine" in Gaza

Netanyahu says even his allies can't take "images of mass famine" in Gaza

A soaring death toll in theGaza Stripand an increasingly vocal outcry over near-famine conditions in the Palestinian territory are piling pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a negotiated ceasefire with Hamas and drop his country's near-total blockade of the enclave. Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry said Tuesday that at least 87 people were killed by Israeli military strikes over the last 24 hours alone.The Israel Defense Forces haveramped up operations in Gazaover the last week, killing hundreds of people, many of them women and children, in what Netanyahu's government insists is legitimate self-defense and aimed entirely at securing the return of58 hostagesstill held by Hamas and its allies in Gaza, and destroying the group. Israel blames Hamas — long designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., Israel and the European Union — for all casualties in Gaza, accusing the group of operating in and around civilian infrastructure.On Monday, for the first time in two and a half months, Netanyahu permitted a handful of trucks carrying aid to enter Gaza. He said he had been pressured into easing the total blockade by allies who could not tolerate "images of mass famine." There were unconfirmed reports on Tuesday that as many as 100 trucks had been allowed to cross the Gaza border. But the United Nations' World Food Program said this week that a few trucks would be just a drop in the bucket given the vast and urgent need for food in Gaza, where more than 2 million Palestinians have been trapped for more than two years of blistering war. Thousands of trucks have been lined up for weeks just across the Gaza border, waiting to cross in. No food, fresh water or medicine had entered the territory for nearly 80 days under the Israeli blockade. Hunger is so rife that full-blown famine is once again stalking Gaza's population, according to the WFP's director for the Palestinian territories, Antoine Renard, who's just returned from the enclave. "You have around an estimated 14,000 children that I know are facing what we call severe acute malnutrition," he told CBS News on Monday, meaning those children could die without rapid intervention. "We always wait for when 'famine' is on. But when famine is on, it's already too late. That will be a failure of all the international community." Until this week, Israel's government had insisted there were no food shortages in Gaza. But for the first time, in a messageposted Monday on social media, Netanyahu acknowledged that Gaza is nearing a hunger crisis."Our best friends in the world, senators that I know as enthusiastic Israel supporters, who I know for many years, are come to me and telling me, 'we give you all the support for a final victory — arms, support on your maneuvers to destroy Hamas, support at the U.N. Security Council. There is one thing we cannot endure — pictures of mass famine. This is something we are unable to witness. We will not be able to support you.'" As a result of that pressure, he's allowing the limited amount of aid into Gaza. Renard said the WFP had sufficient food on standby, ready to enter, to feed the entire population of Gaza for a month. "It must stop," he said of the Israeli blockade. "The civilian population shouldn't be trapped. There's no reason, actually, to hold them accountable for what they are not part of." Netanyahu did not name any of the nations exerting pressure on his government to ease the blockade, and while Israel's closest and most vital ally the U.S. was almost certainly the country he referred to when mentioning long-friendly senators, it's not just the U.S. calling for a resolution to the crisis — and other countries have been doing so more assertively. In a strongly worded statement published Monday, the leaders of the U.K., France and Canada called the level of human suffering in Gaza intolerable, and they threatened to take action. "The Israeli Government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching International Humanitarian Law," the countries said in a joint statement. "We oppose any attempt to expand settlements in the West Bank ... We will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions." Netanyahu decried the threat, saying in a statement that by "asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottowa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities." "The war can end tomorrow if the remaining hostages are released, Hamas lays down its arms, its murderous leaders are exiled and Gaza is demilitarized," said the Israeli leader. "No nation can be expected to accept anything less and Israel certainly won't. This is a war of civilization over barbarism. Israel will continue to defend itself by just means until total victory is achieved." Israel has escalated its war with a new offensive that has killed nearly 600 people over the last week, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. Doctors are running out of supplies — barely able to treat malnourished children, let alone the hundreds of people injured by the Israeli strikes who stream in day after day. The war in Gaza was sparked by the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and left 251 others as hostages in Gaza. Israel's retaliatory war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza, displaced 90% of its population — most of them multiple times — and killed more than 53,500 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry. Watch: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem asked what habeas corpus is in Senate hearing Rubio interrupted at Senate hearing during remarks on changes at State Department Car bomb outside Palm Springs fertility clinic was act of terrorism, officials say

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Netanyahu says even his allies can't take "images of mass famine" in Gaza

Netanyahu says even his allies can't take "images of mass famine" in Gaza A soaring death toll in theGaza Stripand an increasi...

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Why Did “FBI: Most Wanted” and “FBI: International” Get Canceled? Here’s the Reason CBS Didn’t Renew the Shows

Why Did "FBI: Most Wanted" and "FBI: International" Get Canceled? Here's the Reason CBS Didn't Renew the Shows

Mark Schafer/CBS FBI: Most WantedandFBI: Internationalare off the case. CBS' popularFBIfranchise spawned two spinoffs after the flagship series first debuted in September 2018. The first,FBI: Most Wanted, premiered in January 2020, andFBI: Internationalfollowed in September 2021. BothFBI: Most WantedandFBI: Internationalwere among thetop 10 most-watched network primetime TV showsfor the 2024-2025 season. Still, in March 2025, it was announced that theDick Wolfdramas would not be returning in the fall. When it launched, Julian McMahon, Roxy Sternberg, Kellan Lutz and Keisha Castle-Hughes were part of theFBI: Most Wantedcast. Following McMahon's exit in season 3,Dylan McDermotttook over as the series' lead. In March 2022, McDermott told PEOPLE that signing on forFBI: Most Wantedwas "an easy yes." Now, three years later, McDermott is saying goodbye too. So why didFBI: Most WantedandFBI: Internationalget canceled? Here's everything to know about the spinoffs coming to an end and the future of the franchise. Nelly Kiss/CBS FBI: Most WantedandFBI: Internationalwere canceled after their sixth and fourth seasons, respectively. When the initialannouncement was madein March 2025, no reason was given, but two months later, more details came to light. In the end,FBI: Most WantedandFBI: Internationalwere canceled because of finances. According to Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, the network had "to be fiscally responsible" when choosing which projects to renew. "Ultimately those deals and the shows just weren't penciling out for us for an economic perspective," she said in May 2025, perDeadline. "It's never easy to end shows, and we had a lot of options this year." Reisenbach continued, "We always have to look at all of our shows, look at the aggregate information. The creative, where they are in their life cycle, what the finances look like, what the ratings are — and we make those tough decisions." CBS also canceledThe EqualizerstarringQueen Latifahafter season 5. Additionally, it didn't renewS.W.A.T.following season 8, which featuredShemar Mooreand was chopped once before. Mark Schafer/CBS Following the announcement ofFBI: International's cancellation, series star Eva-Jane Willis told PEOPLE in a statement that although she was "sad" the show ended, she was grateful for the opportunity. Willis also shared a heartfelt message onInstagram, writing, "There are no words. So many fantastic friendships on screen and off. So many countries. So many adventures. Loved every minute. Thank you to all the people who worked their asses off and made this possible. Legends all." Vinessa Vidotto, who portrayed special agent Cameron Vo onInternational, echoed a similar sentiment. The actress reflected with a behind-the-scenes photo onInstagram. "Thank you for watching our show and being invested ... I needed this chapter, I'm filled with gratitude. And now it's time to graduate and grow, again," she captioned it. Edwin Hodge, who played special agent Ray Cannon onMost Wanted, postedhis own series of picturesfrom set. "All good things must come to an end. I'm filled with so much abundance and appreciation for this prodigious cast and crew," he penned. Most Wanted's Castle-Hughes shared a snap as she said goodbye to her character, Hana Gibson. In herInstagrampost, she also thanked Wolf Entertainment, CBS and theFBIfranchise "for the journey." Bennett Raglin/CBS FBI's season 7 finale aired on May 20, but the flagship series will be back in the fall for season 8. In April 2024,FBIwas renewed forthree more seasons, taking it through its tenth installment. When it returns,FBIwillbe movingfrom its Tuesday time slot to Monday nights. Bennett Raglin/CBS Yes, anotherFBIspinoff, titledCIA, is in development and will premiere in the fall. The new show takes place in the same world asFBI, but will follow a "fast-talking, rule-breaking loose-cannon" agent, played byTom Ellis(Lucifer,Tell Me Lies). According to the synopsis, Ellis' character will be paired with a "by-the-book" partner, a "seasoned and smart FBI agent who believes in the rule of the law." "When this odd couple are assigned to work out of CIA's New York Station, they must learn to work together to investigate cases and criminals posing threats on U.S. soil," the description continues. "Finding that their differences may actually be their strength." FBIandCIAwill air back-to-back on Monday nights, starting at 9 p.m. E.T. on CBS. Nelly Kiss/CBS FBI: Most WantedandFBI: Internationalare available to stream onPeacockandParamount+. Read the original article onPeople

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Why Did “FBI: Most Wanted” and “FBI: International” Get Canceled? Here’s the Reason CBS Didn’t Renew the Shows

Why Did "FBI: Most Wanted" and "FBI: International" Get Canceled? Here's the Reason CBS Didn't Renew the Shows M...

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Prince William, Princess Kate get dolled up for annual Royal Garden Party: See the photos

Prince William, Princess Kate get dolled up for annual Royal Garden Party: See the photos

Prince WilliamandPrincess Kateare welcoming the summer in style. The Prince and Princess of Wales, along with a slew of other British royals, attended the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on May 20. The appearance marks Kate's return after skipping out on the 2024 Garden Party amid hercancer treatment. The outdoor soiree, part of a series of annual garden parties held at the palace and Scotland's Palace of Holyroodhouse, allows the royal family to "speak to a broad range of people from all walks of life, all of whom have made a positive impact in their community," according to theroyal family's official website. Entry to the event is invitation-only, and invites are typically distributed via a "long established network of sponsors," per the royal family's website. Guests often include Lord-Lieutenants, as well as members from select societies and associations, government departments, the Church of England and other faith-based organizations. During the Garden Party, the royals in attendance greet guests in designated "lanes," during which each royal family member takes a different route and watches presentations from the various attendees, according to the royal family's website. Afterward, the royals make their way to the Royal Tea Tent to converse with other guests. See who else was in attendance at the Royal Garden Party. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Prince William and Princess Kate get dolled up for Royal Garden Party

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Prince William, Princess Kate get dolled up for annual Royal Garden Party: See the photos

Prince William, Princess Kate get dolled up for annual Royal Garden Party: See the photos Prince WilliamandPrincess Kateare welcoming the su...

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