The story of the Menendez brothers has captured public attention in the last couple of months. Part of the reason has been the release of Ryan Murphy’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. The show, a fictionalized account of the brothers’ murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, which aims to tell different points of view of what could have happened, stars Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez and Nicolas Alexander Chavez as Lyle Menendez.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story was a big break for both actors, but especially for Cooper Koch, who plays Erik Menendez. The 28-year-old actor has been working steadily in the industry for the past few years, including in queer thrillers like They/Them and Swallowed, but had never landed a role as big until Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story catapulted him into stardom. Now, it feels like it’s just a matter of time before we see Koch in more big projects.
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With the Los Angeles District Attorney recommending a resentencing for the Menendez brothers, there’s been a renewed interest in the actors who played their fictional versions. But what do we know about Cooper Koch’s personal life? Who is he dating and who has he dated in the past?
Cooper Koch’s boyfriend and dating history
Rumored: Stuart McClave
Cooper Koch likes to keep his personal life personal. The actor, who is gay, has nonetheless spoken out about the decision to come out and his fears it would affect his career. In an interview with Edge Media Network, Koch said, “I remember when I was in college before I had come out and I was still studying in school, I really didn’t wanna come out. I was really afraid to be an actor and be gay just because I didn’t think anyone would take me seriously or I wouldn’t get cast, or I would be shunned or it just wouldn’t work. And I sort of learned through being in acting school that, you know, if I can’t be myself, then I’m not gonna be able to play anyone else regardless of what they identify in terms of their sexuality or their gender or whatever.”
That doesn’t mean the actor wants to bring his romantic relationships into the spotlight. In fact, all that Koch has confirmed is that he is indeed dating someone. So no, Koch is not single, but he isn’t naming names. And since Koch doesn’t currently have any public social media accounts, there aren’t any pictures of him with a possible boyfriend.
Gazette Direct, however, has identified his boyfriend as Stuart McClave, a producer, writer, and director, better known for writing and directing the 2022 documentary On the Line: The Richard Williams Story about the life of Richard Williams, the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. McClave is 37 years old.
Confirmation of his relationship status came during an episode of Watch What Happens Live on Monday, October 14, in New York City. During the episode a fan called in and asked Koch the question straight up, “Do you have a boyfriend? And if not, has your dating life changed since Monsters came out?”
To which Koch replied. “Good question. I do have a boyfriend, so… Sorry!”
As for rumors that the relationship is more serious than just a boyfriend, Koch, who has been wearing what looks like a wedding ring in some appearances, remains mum. But the Gazette Direct also quoted sources as saying, “I talked to someone that knows them, they didn’t know anything about the ring, and there has been no wedding. The bf is a director that is 10 yrs older.”
So, for now, all we can safely say about Cooper Koch is that he does indeed have a boyfriend and there doesn’t seem to have been a wedding. Hopefully, the actor himself will confirm if reports have gotten his identity right sooner rather than later.