Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Has Victim's Family 'Pissed'

Family members of Jeffrey Dahmer victim Errol Lindsey are not happy about Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

The series, which chronicles Dahmer's heinous crimes, has received criticism from viewers and critics alike for its treatment of the serial killer and depiction of his victims.

Lindsey's cousin Eric Perry took to Twitter to express his anger with Ryan Murphy's Netflix series following its release, commenting on a side-by-side video comparing his cousin Rita Isbell's real-life court appearance to Monster's depiction of the heartbreaking moment. 

I’m not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge rn, but if you’re actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbell’s) are pissed about this show. It’s retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need? https://t.co/CRQjXWAvjx

— eric. (@ericthulhu) September 22, 2022

Like recreating my cousin having an emotional breakdown in court in the face of the man who tortured and murdered her brother is WILD. WIIIIIILD.

— eric. (@ericthulhu) September 22, 2022

Isbell, sister of the late Errol Lindsey, told Insider that she had not been consulted or paid for the reenactment of her gutting outburst in court. "I was never contacted about the show. I feel like Netflix should've asked if we mind or how we felt about making it. They didn't ask me anything. They just did it," she said. "If I didn't know any better, I would've thought it was me," she went on, referencing the dramatization of her victim impact statement to Dahmer. "Her hair was like mine, she had on the same clothes. That's why it felt like reliving it all over again. It brought back all the emotions I was feeling back then."

"When I saw some of the show, it bothered me, especially when I saw myself — when I saw my name come across the screen and this lady saying verbatim exactly what I said," she continued. "It's sad that they're just making money off of this tragedy. That's just greed."

"The episode with me was the only part I saw. I didn't watch the whole show. I don't need to watch it. I lived it. I know exactly what happened."

Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is streaming on Netflix.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. She was previously a reporter/producer at Decider and is a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.