Rosie O'Donnell feels like the Menendez brothers' 'big sister'

Lyle and Erik Menendez person much than a person successful comedian Rosie O'Donnell. They person a "big sister."

O'Donnell is speaking retired astir however she's championed the brothers, who are presently locked down bars successful San Diego serving beingness sentences without the anticipation of parole successful the murders of their parents, Jose and Mary "Kitty" Menendez.

The men person seen a resurgence successful their communicative acknowledgment to documentaries and tv bid being made astir them, astir precocious Netflix's "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," which some brothers person condemned.

LYLE MENENDEZ, WHO SHOTGUNNED PARENTS TO DEATH WITH BROTHER, PLANS FOR LIFE AFTER PRISON AMID NEW APPEAL

Erik Menendez and his member Lyle are photographed successful 1991 alongside lawyer Leslie Abramson. (Mike Nelson/AFP via Getty Images)

O'Donnell says their past is complex. 

"I was retired to luncheon with Barbara Walters and our publicist Cindy Berger, and I said, ‘Barbara, you’re not going to judge this, but conjecture who wrote to maine – Lyle Menendez," O’Donnell told Variety. "Barbara said, ‘Ignore him, he’s a murderer. He’s precise cunning.’"

In 1996, Walters famously interviewed some Lyle and Erik successful prison.

O'Donnell admittedly didn't respond, lone entering the brothers' lives 2 years agone aft watching a documentary that included caller grounds that supported Lyle and Erik's story; they'd been molested by their father. O'Donnell spoke retired connected societal media, and from there, a narration was born.

"I got a telephone from Lyle’s woman – I didn’t adjacent cognize helium had a woman – asking if I would speech to him," O’Donnell explained. "He called maine connected Mother’s Day past year."

Rosie O'Donnell says galore years anterior to forging a narration with the Menendez brothers, she ignored a missive from Lyle owed to Barbara Walter's warning. (Olivia Wong/Getty Images)

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Since then, O'Donnell and the brothers person established a relationship of sorts, 1 that the erstwhile speech amusement big describes arsenic astir familial.

"I consciousness similar a large sister successful a way. Lyle is 1 of the astir lauded prisoners successful the California situation system. You can’t disregard that. If helium was benignant of the psycho who was screaming astatine everyone and a maniac, would helium person done hospice for the dying prisoners? Would helium person done each of the things that helium did that allowed him to yet get moved from San Francisco down to his member due to the fact that helium had 10 years consecutive without 1 infraction? Nobody tin disguise their intelligence unwellness that overmuch successful 35 years. To beryllium the bonzer inmates that they some are is beauteous damning grounds arsenic well."

She met Lyle for the archetypal clip past year, greeting the elder Menendez member with a hug. "Then Erik came implicit to me, hugged me, and whispered successful my ear, ‘Thank you for loving my brother.’ It was very, precise moving to me."

Lyle Menendez is photographed successful court. (Kim Kulish/Sygma via Getty Images)

"I consciousness similar a large sister successful a way."

O'Donnell said that she and Lyle "talk a lot."

"I told them I would bash what I could with immoderate dwindling fame I person to bring airy to their story. I said, ‘It’s not the 90s, Lyle. I’m not connected that amusement anymore,’" referencing her talk show that ended successful 2002.

"The Rosie O'Donnell Show" aired from 1996 to 2002. (Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

"I deliberation if you consciousness powerfully astir thing and you privation to effort to assistance society, you tin usage your dependable due to the fact that the children who are abused successful their homes don’t person a voice. It’s up to the adults who were erstwhile those children to talk for them."

The brothers person the imaginable to beryllium resentenced, oregon adjacent released, successful airy of new evidence being reviewed by George Gascón, the Los Angeles County territory attorney, which helium announced past week.

O'Donnell said she was privy to the groundbreaking determination earlier the media.

The Menendez brothers are some serving clip successful the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility. These mugshots were taken of Lyle, left, and Erik successful 2023. (California Department of Corrections)

"I told them I would bash what I could with immoderate dwindling fame I person to bring airy to their story. I said, ‘It’s not the 90s, Lyle. I’m not connected that amusement anymore.'"

"As soon arsenic the quality dropped, I sent them a substance and said, ‘It’s truly happening. Now, enactment that grin connected your face. Here we go.’ This is what they’ve been waiting for for truthful galore decades, and it’s astir time. I deliberation that we, arsenic a society, it’s clip that we said, ‘We made a mistake, and we didn’t recognize what we recognize today.’ It’s benignant of a miracle, but truthful deserving. I’m truthful thrilled for them."

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"They’re excited," she continued. "They’re happy. I came successful 2 years agone arsenic a cheerleader. I told them then, ‘You’re going to get retired of there.’ They didn’t truly judge me, but I judge that the incorrect volition beryllium righted. They’re inactive reticent to judge it’s going to happen."

Erik and Lyle Menendez could perchance beryllium released soon. (Kim Kulish/AFP via Getty Images)

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O'Donnell already has plans acceptable up with Lyle if helium is so released. 

"I’ve ever told Lyle that I volition instrumentality him to Nobu due to the fact that helium thinks that’s the spot to go," she said of the luxury-chain Japanese-Peruvian edifice frequented by celebrities. "Sometimes, I would speech to him astatine night, and I’d accidental that my friends and I went to Nobu for lunch. I’d say, ‘Buddy, erstwhile you get out, I’ll instrumentality you to Nobu.’ When I talked to him the different day, helium said, ‘When are we going to Nobu?’ I said, ‘Sooner than you think.’"