Erik Menendez’s Daughter Reveals This Is A Stressful Time For Them

In a rare, emotional interview with us, Talia Menendez, stepdaughter of Erik Menendez, is speaking out about continuing medical battles being endured by her imprisoned dad. The 54-year-old, currently serving a life sentence for the 1989 murders of his parents with brother Lyle Menendez, is recuperating from two major surgeries, with a third yet to be performed.

The news comes just weeks before those infamous brothers plan to face a parole board that could help determine their future, three-plus decades later. But for Erik, health has now become a more pressing focus. Talia, 29, posted the news on her Instagram Stories on July 23, which was that Erik has been fighting a severe kidney issue. "Today Erik had his second surgery due to complications with both kidneys having multiple large stones," she wrote. "Thankfully, his surgery was successful, though he will need a third surgery soon."

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Erik's lawyer says "the diagnosis is a serious medical condition," a sentiment shared by Talia, who fears the standard and timeliness of the medical care in the prison system. "Because Erik is in prison, there are often complications and delays in medical care," she said. "So this continues to be a very stressful time for us all, as you can imagine." Talia is the daughter of Tammi Menendez, who married Erik in a prison ceremony in 1999. The Menendez brothers' case has, over the years, remained a disturbing episode in the history of true crime in America and one that has split public opinion. But now, perhaps more than ever, attention is focusing on their current reality, aging behind bars and coping with serious health problems in the confines of a prison.

This Talia update gave us a truly intimate look at the human side of the Menendez story. Though legal analysts are no doubt predicting that it will be one hell of a parole hearing, Erik's family is less concerned with freedom than they are with survival. Now, as Erik prepares for another surgery, the goal is for adequate, timely treatment even within the strict confines of the correctional system. For Talia and his loved ones, the emotional weight is building. Meanwhile, the countdown to the upcoming parole hearing, but right now Erik's struggle is with his health, not the courtroom.