Did Lizzie Borden have a relationship with Bridget Sullivan? The maid's true story explained

23 September 2026, 11:53 | Updated: 23 September 2026, 12:20

By Sam Prance

Here's what actually happened to Bridget Sullivan after Lizzie Borden's trial in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.

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Borden maid Bridget Sullivan plays a big role in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, but how accurate is her storyline?

A huge part of Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story revolves around Lizzie Borden having a secret lesbian affair with her family housemaid Bridget Sullivan. As soon as the pair meet each other, their chemistry is palpable, and it isn't long before their relationship turns romantic and they conspire to murder Lizzie's father and stepmother together.

Was Bridget Sullivan Lizzie Borden's girlfriend though? And what happened to her after Lizzie's trial? Here's what we know about Bridget Sullivan's life, death and real-life relationship with Lizzie Borden.

Watch Netflix's Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story

Did Lizzie Borden have an affair with Bridget Sullivan?

Bridget Sullivan was an Irish immigrant who worked as the Borden family maid for two years before Andrew and Abby Borden were killed. Despite what's portrayed in Monster, there's no historical evidence to suggest that Bridget had a romantic relationship with Lizzie Borden, nor that she had any involvement in the killings of Andrew and Abby.

However, it is true that Bridget and Abby were the only other known people in the Borden house when both murders took place. Bridget testified that Abby had asked her to clean windows that morning. It was only when she went to rest afterwards that she heard an alarmed call from Lizzie and discovered that Andrew was dead.

And it was Bridget's testimony that helped Lizzie be found not guilty. The prosecution argued that Lizzie and Abby had a strained relationship but Bridget dispelled these claims and said that there was no trouble between them.

Did Lizzie Borden have an affair with Bridget Sullivan? Picture: Netflix

What happened to Bridget Sullivan after Lizzie Borden's trial?

According to the Anaconda Leader, Bridget Sullivan moved to Anaconda, Montana in 1987 and married a man named John Sullivan four years later. Bridget also reportedly continued her domestic work and was hired by Judge George Winston in around 1925. She then passed away in 1948 at the age of roughly 81.

Speaking to the outlet, Bridget's great niece Agnes Holm revealed that Bridget never spoke of Lizzie with her: "That didn’t mean anything to me then because I was just a high school girl when she lived with us. Besides, she never mentioned any murder.”

In other words, Bridget and Lizzie reconnecting later in life and becoming suffragettes together in the show never actually happened. It's unlikely that they ever saw each other again after Bridget left Massachusetts.