Roy Rossello, Ex-Menudo Member, Says He Was Drugged, Raped by Menendez Brothers' Father
Roy Rossello, a former member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, claimed that the slain father of the Menendez brothers raped him when he was a teenager.
In a preview of the upcoming Peacock docuseries "Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed" aired Tuesday on "Today," Rossello alleged that music executive Jose Menendez, who was infamously murdered by his sons Lyle and Erik Menendez in 1989, had molested, drugged, and raped him as a teenager, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The now 51-year-old Rossello claimed that the father of the Menendez brothers, who was then the head of RCA Records, raped him during a visit to the Menendez home in New Jersey when he was 14.
"I know what he did to me in his house... That's the man here that raped me. That's the pedophile," Rossello noted in the clip while pointing to a photo of Jose Menendez, adding that "it's time for the world to know the truth."
Rossello was reportedly a Menudo member from 1983 to 1986. His claim reportedly comes 27 years after siblings Lyle and Erik were convicted of first-degree murder for killing not only their father but also their mother, Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez.
They were sentenced to life in prison. During the trial in the mid-1990s, the Menendez brothers alleged that they had been emotionally, physically, and sexually abused since they were kids.
They said they shot their parents to death in their Beverly Hills mansion as they feared their parents would kill them after they threatened to expose the alleged abuse.
However, a Los Angeles County judge deemed irrelevant and inadmissible all the testimony of sexual abuse. It is still unclear why Rossello's claims only surfaced now or if authorities will probe them or will have any impact on efforts to secure a new trial for the Menendez brothers.
In the clip from the docuseries, Erik Menendez said: "I always hoped and believed that one day the truth about my dad would come out... But I never wished for it to come out like this - the result of trauma that another child has suffered."
Lyle added: "We'd heard rumors that something might have happened with Menudo through the years... You know that that would have made a difference at trial."
Menendez brothers' attorney Alan Jackson told "Today" that a complex process involving a petition and another trial is needed to leverage the allegation to lobby for the brothers' exoneration and freedom.
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Former Menudo Member Roy Rossello Also Accused Former Manager of Sexually Abusing Him
The "Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed" docuseries also includes allegations that Edgardo Diaz, a former manager of Menudo, also sexually abused Roy Rossello in the mid-1980s when he was still part of the boy band, Entertainment Weekly reported.
Before leaving the group, Rossello and other Menudo members previously alleged rampant abuse and assault.
In the HBO Max docuseries "Menudo: Forever Young" released last summer, 13 former band members accused Diaz of physical, sexual, and mental abuse.
However, the former manager has denied any wrongdoing. Diaz previously said that his character and professional work spoke for him.
Roy Rossello Alleges Former Menudo Manager Had Ricky Martin Dress As Woman
In a 2014 interview with the Brazilian show "Domingo Espectacular," Roy Rossello had also spoken out against his former manager.
He alleged that Edgardo Diaz sexually abused him and other members of Menudo. As he revealed what happened, Rossello said: "At the last party I went to, Edgar made Ricky [Martin] dress up as a woman," he said.
"There I entered and left running. I called Robi [Draco Rosa], who came and punched him while I left running. I got to the street, and I was praying for a car to run me over," he added.
Rossello explained that he did not speak out before because he did not feel ready to do so, but God was giving him the strength that made him speak at the time.
He noted that he was not looking for anything other than spreading awareness. He added that he had already forgiven Diaz for the abuse and exploitation. Ricky Martin has yet to comment on Rossello's claims.
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Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed | Official Trailer - From Peacock