>> jimmy: thanks to governor tim walz and judd apatow. thank you, judd. tomorrow night harrison ford will be with us. thanks for watching. apologies to matt damon. we did run out of time for him. "nightline" is next. good night, everybody. this is nightline. >> tonight are the menendez brothers closer to freedom? i

believe that they have paid their debt to society. the jaw dropping development in the case that captivated the nation, shifting perspectives fueled by the popular monsters netflix series about the notorious double murder. >> eric and i killed our parents together. so i'd say that makes us pretty close. >> their abuse claims derided in court. now, the basis for their possible release. >> my dad had been molesting me. >> after 35 years, could eric and lyle menendez soon walk free? plus, fashion trailblazer willy chavarria. just like that, the bold designer with looks worn by tracee ellis ross, julia fox and billie eilish. mixing luxe and legacy with cutting edge design and cultural heritage. >> i did see the disparities between race and economic means. i really wanted to make sure that i highlighted those things and didn't ignore them. >> how the icon and the making cast fashion diamonds in the rough.

>> i really like to take the beauty that i find in the streets or, you know, working at 7-eleven and really reflect ourselves in that beauty. >> and the wnba, new york liberty, celebrating on the streets of gotham with a hometown crowd. hometown crowd. >> nightline will be right back. t is in the gutter. undo it with pepto fast melts. so you can keep on rolling. [bowling pins knocked down] when you overdo it, undo it with pepto bismol. ♪ vicks vapostick provides soothing non-medicated vicks vapors. easy to apply for the whole family. vicks vapostick. and try new vaposhower max for steamy vicks vapors.

>> good evening. thank you for joining us tonight. after serving decades behind bars for their parents double murder. eric and menendez are one step closer to the possibility of walking free. the los angeles county district attorney today announcing he believes the abuse they allegedly suffered at the hands of their father should have been considered in their sentencing, and that the brothers have been punished enough. here's abc's matt gutma. they have been in prison for nearly 35 years. i believe that they have paid their debt to society. >> tonight, lyle and erik menendez, one step closer to freedom. decades after murdering their parents and being convicted to life in prison without parole. the l.a. county district attorney, george gascon, announcing his recommendation for a resentencing 50 years to life with the possibility of parole. a parole they would possibly be immediately eligible for. >> i do believe that the

brothers were subjected to a tremendous amount of dysfunction in the home and molestation, and he addressed the heart of the case allegations that the brothers were sexually abused by their father. i think there is also important to have some introspection today, because i think that often, for cultural reasons, we don't believe victims of sexual assault, whether they're women or whether they're men, their family gathering for the latest development, rallying behind the brothers. >> this step gives us all hope that the truth will finally be heard. and eric and lyle can begin to heal from the horrors of their past. >> the da's decision reflects the truth that was hidden for so long, and i am grateful for his leadership in making this choice. >> you are recommending that they be released essentially immediately. >> i am recommending that they be released because i believe that the people that they were at age 19 and 21 is not the same people that we're seeing 35

years later. >> the 93 year old sister of kitty menendez, sitting in the front row just days ago, nearly 20 family members pleaded for their release. >> no jury today would issue such a harsh presence sentence without taking their trauma into account. >> i believe they have paid for their crimes and we as a family have all suffered enough. >> the bombshell development one. the d.a. noted, is controversial, even within his own office. >> there are people in this office that believe that they were never molested. i don't quite agree with that. there are people that believe that they should be in prison for the rest of their life, based on their conduct. i don't believe that to be the case. >> the pivotal moment comes after shifting public opinion about the case and a hit netflix scripted series, monsters, that thrust their story back into the spotlight this september. >> this is done, this is done. you understand? no more between you two. and you are never, never to touch him. not ever.

what's the problem? >> what's the problem? >> i killed my parents. pardon me. i'm jewish. >> it was from the jump. one of the biggest cases in los angeles and in the country. no one could believe that these two young men had killed their parents. this way. >> it was a shocking beverly hills double murder. a prominent husband and wife gunned down by their own children in cold blood. >> entertainment executive jose menendez and his wife were slain in the family room of their beverly hills mansion. >> their sons burst in on them and opened fire repeatedly over and over. shotgun blasts to all parts of their body. >> the sharp jawed, brooding brothers convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the

possibility of parole for the heinous crime. >> there was something deeply evil about it that scared people. >> i'm just a normal kid. oh, you're a normal kid who killed your parents. >> i know they get life without the possibility of parole in their 20s. you are going to die in prison. >> how? they killed their parents. jose and kitty was always clear. but why they did? it has divided and riveted the nation for decades. >> remember, this was not a whodunit. this was why physical, verbal, psychological, sexual abuse that went on for years. >> lyle and erik menendez are stone cold murderers. abuse does not justify a revenge killing. never. never. never, ever. >> nightline co-anchor juju chang spoke with the menendez brothers cousin, karen van der molen, earlier this month. >> there are some who argue that

the sex abuse was fabricated. >> sure they do. they don't want to admit the truth. they were afraid that jose really would kill people. >> the brothers said they feared for their lives when they shot their parents. after lyle threatened to expose their secret. their cousins backing up the allegations of abuse. >> he told me never to reveal it to anybody to promise him that i would keep it a secret between us. >> but prosecutors in 1993 said the abuse defense was fabricated. at one point even saying men can't be raped. it's the people's position. >> first of all, that men cannot be raped since they lack the necessary equipment to actually be raped. >> that jury deadlocked. >> i find that the jury is hopelessly deadlocked, and the court declares a mistrial and a second trial, severely limiting evidence of abuse. >> they were convicted and sentenced to life without parole. now, in the eyes of man, the menendez brothers have seemingly gone from public enemies to victims. 5 to 10

years would have been enough. >> they didn't need to do life without parole. even all the love i feel for you young people today want to stand up for victims of abuse. >> justice reform advocate kim kardashian, who visited the brothers prison earlier this year, weighing in on today's decision, writing this case highlights the importance of challenging decisions and seeking truth, even when guilt is not in question. actor rosie o'donnell also friends with the brothers and has long been an advocate for their release. >> they were not horrible kids. they were severely, sadistically tortured by a predator father and a very compliant and also involved mother who had no interest in them. >> did your father have sexual contact with you? >> yes. >> the menendez brothers saga now being looked at through a 21st century lens, at a trauma barely understood at the time

that men could also be sexually abused, a reality explored by the former psychiatrist who treated the brothers back in the 90s. >> in the 80s and 90s, the public had very little knowledge about this type of sexual abuse, especially fathers abusing their own sons back then. there were many people that just dismissed this outright. >> i don't think in the 90s, the world was ready f case, especially the graphic nature of the description of sexual abuse. >> i have always thought that if the menendez brothers were the menendez sisters, they'd be free today. it would have been convicted, but an abuse victim often gets some kind of clemency. >> this is not a child abuse trial. this is a murder trial. >> but some, like alan abrahamson, who covered the trial for the la times, still believe the brothers killed for

money and that the jury got it right given their lavish spending spree. >> the parents were sitting in the den watching tv. where did they have any weapons? no. >> i thought that when lyle described the killing of his mother, that a normal jury would find it reprehensible and convict him. you know, we loved our mother. oh, yeah. really? you loved your mother. you blew her up. >> kitty's brother, milton anderson, agrees that the brothers should not be released, saying in a statement earlier this month when eric and lyle menendez executed their parents, kitty and jose menendez, they not only cut short two lives, they also shattered an entire family. the statement adding that their motive was pure greed. just weeks ago, the district attorney telling abc news he already had doubts about their original sentence. >> do you think the menendez brothers will walk free someday? >> look, i believe, right, that given the totality of the circumstances, i don't think that they deserve to be in

prison until they die. okay? i don't believe that. >> with today's decision, their fate now up to the court. gascon filing his recommendation tomorrow and says he hopes that a judge might hear the case within the next 30 to 45 days. the brothers attorney, mark geragos, speculating on when they might be released. >> they have the love and support of an enormous family that is has waited patiently for this day. i believe before thanksgiving, they will be home. >> the menendez family members today celebrating the milestone tomorrow again anticipating the next step toward possible release. >> we stand united in our hope and gratitude. together, we can make sure that erik and lyle receive the justice they deserve and finally come home. >> our thanks to matt. for more on this story, watch impact by nightline. menendez brothers, monsters, or victims now streaming on hulu. when we come

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>> welcome back. designer willy chavarria finds his center by reaching back for iconic inspiration and casting those around him to become fashion's future. here's abc's michael strahan. >> oh, i'm running on adrenaline

and passion. >> and the mustache is good. >> mexican american fashion designer willy chavarria is racing the clock with just moments to go before opening fashion week. >> just like that. >> that one hand out. >> yeah, because you want to keep that silhouette and it's still perfecting every detail of his 11th new york city show creating look for some of hollywood's biggest stars billie eilish, j balvin and julia fox. these shows are not just for me to sell my clothes, they're for me to make a statement and to touch people, you know? that's the emotional part of it. >> but for chavarria, it is more than just a recognition that fuels him. it's making those who wear his brand feel seen through his work. >> i take the shows and the collections very, very seriously because i want the collections to tell a story. >> at 57 years old, chavarria, a mexican-american designer, is reaching new heights in haute couture named 2023 american menswear designer of the year by council of fashion designers of america, one of the industry's

highest honors. his mexican-american heritage inspiring his work, his following now bigger than ever. tell us about the name of this year's fashion show. this show was called america, which is america, through the voice of an immigrant or the child of immigrants, the people who have come here to build this country, and the people who make this country work. chavarria, who was born into an immigrant farming community in fresno, california, was inspired by the clothing and uniforms he saw in his everyday life. and you said that you grew up, quote, well aware of the harsh realities of racial and economic bias. >> i didn't come from a wealthy community, although we were never without. i did see the disparities between race and economic means. so by the time i decided to do my own brand, i really wanted to make sure that i highlighted those things and didn't ignore them.

>> he got his start in fashion back in the 90s, working in the stockroom of joe boxer, the smiley face underwear company. do you look sometimes and go, it's a pretty unbelievable story. >> i do, you know, i actually do that every day. every day. i'm kind of surprised and stunned at where i am right now in this life. and i think that's why it's so important for me to have a brand that gives back as much as i put out much of his work today, infused with inspiration from his time in the san francisco club scene as a young man and finding moments in history to incorporate into his style. there's always something to take inspiration from and letting those things inspire me and form the person that i am really helped me to move forward and then grow into this fashion industry. >> so he designed his brand signature oversize silhouettes. after the 1943 zoot suit riots, a time when brown and black men in l.a. were persecuted for

wearing the broad shouldered, wide legged look. how did learned about these riots help shape who you are? >> it was probably when i realized the important political value that what we wear has. it was really a way of latinos and black and brown people to claim our territory or to claim our culture. that has always been so beautiful to me that i've really taken elements from that. and applied it to the silhouettes that i create today. >> hello. >> hi. isn't he brilliant? >> as you find your models in untraditional ways. yes. why do you street cast? >> because there are so many different levels of beauty that we don't see reflected in media so often. so i really like to take the beauty that i find in the streets or, you know, working at 7-eleven or on a construction site and really reflect ourselves in that

beauty. >> and another thing you challenge is the way that people see gender. >> gender to me is a little bit elusive. when i design, i just draw a circle on top for a head with two little pokes for the eyes, and then i sketch out the garment and whatever body that lands on in the future is just whatever it becomes. >> he recently launched collaborations with pacsun and adidas, offering his designs at lower prices. that's something you hope to do more of. >> most definitely. so while i do want to be a luxury designer because there aren't a lot of mexican american luxury designers, i also want to be able to have like a $5,040 t shirt for people who can't afford a luxury garment. >> chavarria mixing luxury and legacy. the past and what he sees for the future, and bringing his bold vision back to the runway. what advice would you give your younger self today? >> i would really say to my younger self to trust myself.

you know, i think for a lot of black and brown people and queer people and, you know, just people who have been othered in this country, we have that part of ourselves that tells us we can't do it or we're not worthy of it. as people who always haven't had those opportunities. it's important that we realize our value and know that we can do anything. >> our thanks to michael when we come back. new york city celebrates his first basketball championship in almost a half championship in almost a half century. ...with my psoriatic arthritis symptoms. but just ok isn't ok. and i was done settling. if you still have symptoms after trying a tnf blocker like humira or enbrel, rinvoq works differently. rinvoq is a once-daily

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>> and finally tonight they came. they saw, they skipped school and they party with the new york liberty, the wnba champions emerging from the canyon of heroes in a wild ticker tape parade. today on the streets of new york city. let's go. fans of all ages celebrating their heroes. power forward breanna stewart grabbing a microphone for a shout out. it's an incredible feeling being here today, especially with my family. >> the fans have continued to show up and show out all season long and they didn't stop. now, with the parade happy to bring the first championship home. >> the new york liberty winning new york city's first basketball championship in 48 years. and that's nightline for this evening. catch a full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here. same time tomorrow. thanks for the company