Who Is Erik Menendez's Daughter? Everything to Know About Talia and Her Relationship with Her Stepfather By Caroline Blair

Erik Menendez has been a father figure from behind bars since the ’90s.

He shares a stepdaughter named Talia Menendez with his wife, Tammi Menendez. Despite Erik being imprisoned the whole time Talia has known him, the two have had a close relationship since she was a young child. When Tammi and Erik married in 1999, Talia was just a baby.

Tammi was previously married to a man named Chuck Saccoman, and they had daughter Talia together, she explained to PEOPLE in 2005. Saccoman died when Talia was 9 months old, and Erik later became her primary father figure. Tammi previously explained that although Erik isn’t Talia’s biological father, she calls him her “earth dad.”

Erik and Tammi met after she started sending him letters while he was serving time in prison for murdering his parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in August 1989 in their Beverly Hills, Calif., mansion. He committed the murders alongside his brother, Lyle Menendez, who is also behind bars.

Over the years, Talia has advocated on behalf of her stepfather and supported his release. After both Erik and Lyle were denied parole on Aug. 22, Talia wrote that she was “extremely saddened” by the decision and claimed that it was a “complete setup from the inside.”

“You can all judge me for being angry,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories. “I’m standing on 10 toes for our family … We will not stop until they are free. Our fight is not over.”

Here’s everything to know about Erik Menendez’s daughter, Talia Menendez.

She’s Tammi Menendez’s daughter

Tammi began writing to Erik in 1993 when she was watching with the rest of the world as he and Lyle were tried for the first time for the murder of their parents. She initially began writing to him while she was still married to Saccoman, and he gave her his approval.

“I could see the pain in his eyes,” she told PEOPLE in 2005 of Erik. “I felt so sorry for him. I told him [Saccoman] that I was going to write to Erik. He said to go ahead. I really didn’t know if Erik would write back.”

In the midst of writing to Erik and being married to Saccoman, Tammi reportedly discovered that Saccoman was allegedly sexually abusing her older teenage daughter. Saccoman later turned himself in to the police and died by suicide just two days later. At the time of her biological dad’s death, Talia was 9 months old.

“I reached out to Erik,” Tammi told PEOPLE. “He comforted me; our letters started taking on a more serious tone.”

Tammi visited Erik and met him in person for the first time in 1997 at Folsom State Prison in California. The two began a romantic relationship, and she later moved with Talia to Sacramento, Calif., to be closer to Erik. In 1999, the couple married in a small room at Folsom State Prison.

“Erik had a long list of vows he wanted to say,” she recalled to PEOPLE. “Everybody had tears in their eyes, and you could forget where you were for the moment … I was surprised we were allowed to kiss right after the ceremony, so we got three kisses that day. Our wedding cake was a Twinkie. We improvised. It was a wonderful ceremony until I had to leave. That was a very lonely night.”

After Erik was transferred to Pleasant Valley State Prison in Fresno County, Calif., in 2005, Tammi and Talia drove 150 miles every weekend to visit Erik. At the time, Tammi reflected on Talia and Erik’s close bond and said that she worried about how people would react to her relationship.

“Every single time a parent would say to me, ‘No, my daughter can’t stay over at your house,’ I would wonder if the underlying reason was Erik,” Tammi explained to PEOPLE. “There is always that question in my mind.”

Talia spent holidays with Erik in prison

Since Talia and Tammi moved to be closer to Erik and frequently visited him in prison, they also spent many holidays with him behind bars. In May 2021, Talia reflected on one Christmas they spent together at Folsom State Prison by posting a photo of herself, Tammi and Erik smiling in front of a Christmas tree.

“I’ve been getting more support than hate and I wish I could just post every polaroid I have of us but here is an unreleased picture of us at Christmas time ! This was back at Folsom State Prison, the first prison my dad was at,” she captioned the photo. “I love this picture so much and it stays on the dash on my car 🤍.”

Talia spent much of her childhood visiting her stepfather. She posted a photo of her holding Erik’s hand in a visiting room and wrote about her “thoughts as a little girl visiting Erik” in an October 2020 Instagram post.

“I loved it and thought it was just normal. I thought that, that is where my dad lived.. in a big gray concrete mansion filled with body guards and his other friends,” she captioned the photo. “Being a little girl, I didn’t know exactly everything but my mom really tried her best to always be honest with me. From a very young age, I knew my dad had done something bad that kept him from coming home with us.”

Talia called visiting her dad “some of my favorite childhood memories” and shared that he used to help her with her homework, play board games with her and compete with other inmates and their kids in games.

She frequently advocates for her dad

After living most of her life out of the spotlight, Talia started an Instagram account, with the username @seterikmenendezfree, to speak about her dad and her uncle, Lyle, and advocate for them.

“I made this account to not only shed light on what an amazing human my dad is .. but to also answer the hundreds of questions people ask me anytime my dad is brought up,” she wrote in her first post in September 2020. “This is also the first time I will be putting myself out there as his daughter to anyone other than my friends and family.”

Talia further explained that she wanted to tell people about the “amazing human” Erik is and the “trauma he was put through and the corruption of our system.”

“My mom has devoted her whole life to try and get them released, but, unfortunately.. some times you need people to stand up with you for what is wrong.. in order for your voice to be heard. Please be respectful, thank you,” she concluded her first post.

In June 2025, Talia celebrated Erik for graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine.

“Words can’t describe how proud I am of him,” she wrote under a photo of her dad in a cap and gown. “Watching him go after his goals with focus and dedication, no matter the timing or obstacles, has been one of the most inspiring things in my life. This isn’t just a diploma, it’s proof that it’s never too late to chase your dreams.”

Talia said she was “extremely saddened” when Erik and Lyle were denied parole

After a judge resentenced Erik and Lyle from life in prison without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life in May 2025, the brothers were immediately eligible for parole. Talia later expressed her gratitude for the possibility that her dad and uncle could be released.

“Thank you everyone for your countless prayers and support, we truly wouldn’t be here without you all. PAROLE BOARD HERE WE COME!” she captioned a post on May 14, 2025.

Erik virtually appeared in front of a parole board on Aug. 21, but was denied release. The following day, Lyle also appeared virtually for his own hearing and was also denied parole. Talia later shared on her Instagram Stories that she was “extremely saddened” by the decision.

“You can all judge me for being angry,” she wrote. “I’m standing on 10 toes for our family … We will not stop until they are free. Our fight is not over.”

In a follow-up post on her Instagram Stories, Talia explained that “people can have different views of this being a win or not.” She added that she has “been let down time and time again” and that this had been the “highest her hopes had been” for Erik and Lyle to be released — especially since they were “getting older and older.” 

“Things start to change. This is deeper than surface level. Enough is enough,” Talia concluded, while adding a tornado emoji.