Inside the Menendez Story: A Cousin's Fight for Rehabilitation cover art

Inside the Menendez Story: A Cousin's Fight for Rehabilitation

Inside the Menendez Story: A Cousin's Fight for Rehabilitation

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 What if everything you thought you knew about the Menendez brothers was only half the story? In this season 5 finale, I sit down with one of my oldest friends, yoga instructor and advocate Anamaria Baralt, who also happens to be the first cousin of Eric and Lyle Menendez. Twenty-five years ago, Anamaria quietly told me who her cousins were and asked me to keep it to myself. Today, she is standing in front of walls of cameras, speaking for her family, and trying to change how we think about abuse, justice, rehabilitation, and what it means to hold two truths at the same time. We talk about how Anamaria went from a "normal" life as a mom, yoga teacher, and graphic designer outside of Seattle to serving as a public representative for her family during the resentencing process. She shares what it was like to out herself at a press conference, watch her TikTok explode overnight, and become the person Eric and Lyle trust to use her voice on the outside. Content note: This episode includes discussion of murder, child abuse, sexual abuse, addiction, and the criminal justice system. Please care for yourself as you listen.

In this episode:
  • The complexity of holding two truths: grieving her aunt and uncle while supporting her cousins, Eric and Lyle Menendez
  • Why Anamaria chose to go public after decades of silence
  • How media portrayals, from the '90s to Monsters, skew the real story
  • Who Eric and Lyle are today after 35 years in prison
  • Why rehabilitation and trauma-informed sentencing matter
  • What modern brain science reveals about abuse, trauma, and decision-making
  • What happened during the resentencing and latest parole denial
  • How Anamaria is navigating advocacy, motherhood, and national attention
  • Her vision for prison reform, awareness around child abuse, and using her voice for change
Anamaria Baralt is a yoga instructor, personal trainer, artist, and mom of two living outside Seattle. She is also the niece of José and Kitty Menendez and first cousin of Eric and Lyle Menendez. After decades of living quietly with an unimaginable family history, she stepped into the public eye to speak on behalf of her family during the Menendez resentencing process. References and resources mentioned Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Ryan Murphy series): https://www.netflix.com/title/81665094 The Two Angry Men podcast episode featuring Eric and Lyle Menendez: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2-angry-men/id1728521271?i=1000694271365 Lyle Menendez's Green Space Project and Eric Menendez's Life Care and Hospice work inside prison: https://apnews.com/article/menendez-brothers-murder-erik-lyle-freedom-prison-b1eede9677e78df88f6709703cc8b716 Anamaria's TikTok account, where she shares advocacy, education, and a few dog cameos: ttps://www.tiktok.com/@anamariabaralt

You can find me on Instagram @rightinfrontofmyface or send me a note at rightinfrontofmyface@gmail.com. If this conversation hit home for you, please share it with a friend and leave a review. It really does help more people find these stories. And as always, don't forget to look around—you never know what's happening right in front of your face. Thank you to my sponsors Cassie and Jeremy Johnson with Windermere Real Estate: https://johnsonandwalker.com/
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