A heated legal battle is underway as Menudo's longtime promoter, Darrin McGillis, sues NBC for at least $500 million. He claims the network's documentary Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed has seriously damaged the reputation of the popular Latin boy band.

The documentary, which has been streaming on Peacock since 2023, includes shocking claims by former Menudo member Roy Rosselló Diaz.

In the film, Roy says that Jose Menendez — the father of convicted killers Erik and Lyle Menendez — molested him during the 1980s. That claim has reignited public interest in the Menendez brothers' murder case, where the siblings have long said their father abused them.

However, McGillis strongly disputes the film's accuracy. According to court documents, he says NBC relied on "fabricated statements" and paid Roy a "substantial amount of money" to tell a false story.

McGillis, who says he still owns rights to many of Menudo's hit songs, believes the documentary paints the group and its former members in a negative light.

According to Fox22, he claims the film includes "scandalous, false, and defamatory labels" such as "sexual," "molestation," "gay," and "homosexual" in ways that harm the band's image. McGillis argues that Roy's credibility is questionable due to past drug use and personal conflicts with former partners.

NBC Faces $500M Suit Over Controversial Menendez Documentary

In his lawsuit, which he filed on his own without a lawyer, McGillis is seeking $500 million in punitive damages, plus additional compensation for any other harm the court sees fit, TMZ said.

He argues the documentary does not just damage his business interests, but also misleads viewers about Menudo's past.

The film has stirred significant conversation online and in media circles, particularly because it ties into the ongoing debate over the Menendez brothers' motives in the 1989 murders of their parents. The brothers are currently serving life sentences but have gained renewed attention due to these abuse allegations.

NBC has not yet responded publicly to the lawsuit. Meanwhile, the debate over truth and reputation in documentary storytelling continues to grow, especially as older pop culture stories are re-examined through a modern lens.

Tags
Nbc