“The Iron Claw”: “So Inaccurate It Was Heart-Wrenching”: Lacey Von Erich Speaks Out
Lacey Von Erich didn’t learn about “The Iron Claw” through her family or a formal announcement—she found out the same way most people did: on social media. What she saw, she says, left her devastated.
Lacey Von Erich on “The Iron Claw”
“My sister and I were not in the movie as my dad’s children, and he didn’t have a wife or anything—and that was a really big part of my dad,” Lacey, 38, shared in an episode of Hollywood Demons. “So how he was portrayed in the movie is so inaccurate that it was heart-wrenching.”
Lacey, daughter of wrestling legend Kerry Von Erich, says the film completely left out her, her sister Hollie, and their mother, Catherine Murray—key parts of Kerry’s personal life that shaped who he was outside the ring.
Her uncle Kevin Von Erich felt similarly blindsided. “Kerry in the movie was not a family man, but in real life, Kerry was.”
“The Iron Claw” Release and Reception
“The Iron Claw”, directed by Sean Durkin and released during the 2023 holiday season, drew praise for its emotional weight and strong performances—especially Jeremy Allen White as Kerry and Zac Efron as Kevin. Though it was eligible for awards, its late-year release may have limited its momentum during Oscar season.
The film chronicles the rise of the Von Erich brothers in the wrestling world, and doesn’t shy away from the darker chapters—like Kerry’s devastating motorcycle crash, which led to the amputation of his foot, his battle with addiction, and his suicide in 1993.
Major Omissions from “The Iron Claw”
While the movie includes major moments from Kerry’s wrestling and personal life, it excludes critical elements of who he was behind the scenes. His role as a father and husband is completely erased from the narrative. Also missing is Chris Von Erich, the youngest of the brothers, whose tragic death is part of the broader family legacy. For the Von Erichs, these omissions weren’t just oversights—they felt like distortions.
“The Iron Claw” is a gripping, emotional film—but the controversy surrounding it raises a tough question: When filmmakers tell real-life stories, what responsibility do they have to those who lived them?
For the Von Erich family, that question still feels very personal.
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