Was Lizzie Borden gay? The truth behind her lesbian relationship in Monster explained

21 September 2026, 13:43 | Updated: 23 September 2026, 12:03

By Sam Prance

In Netflix's Monster, Lizzie Borden has an affair with Bridget Sullivan but what is the truth? Did she have a girlfriend?

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If you've watched Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story on Netflix, you might be wondering if Lizzie Borden was a lesbian.

In the 1890s, Massachusetts born Lizzie Borden was famously accused of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe. However, when Lizzie's case was put to trial, she was found not guilty and people have speculated for years whether or not she actually did it. Netflix's Monster explores Lizzie's story before and after the crime happened.

Not only that but Monster also gets into Lizzie's sexuality and depicts her as a queer. Was Lizzie Borden gay though?

Read more: Did Aileen Wuornos visit Lizzie Borden's house? Monster boss explains fake story
Read more: Did Lizzie Borden actually kill her parents? The true story behind Monster on Netflix

Did Lizzie Borden have an affair with Bridget Sullivan?

In Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, Lizzie has a passionate affair with the Borden family housemaid Bridget 'Maggie' Sullivan. In fact, Lizzie and Maggie's relationship plays a vital role in the deaths of Andrew Borden and Abby Borden.

So what really happened? Well, for years historians have debated whether or not Lizzie was queer. She was 32 when her parents were killed and lived unmarried with Andrew and Abby at the time. She then never married or had any significant relationships with men up until her death aged 66 in 1927.

When it comes to Bridget Sullivan, there are no actual historical records that suggest that she and Lizzie ever had a romantic relationship with each other. In other words, this storyline appears to have been devised specifically for Monster.

Was Lizzie Borden a lesbian?

As it wasn't socially acceptable to be gay in Lizzie's lifetime, people have assumed that she might have been a closet lesbian. On top of not marrying any men, she developed a close relationship with actress Nance O’Neil in 1904 but it's unclear whether or not their bond was anything more than platonic.

Like many historical figures, it's impossible to know if Lizzie was actually queer. Monster explores what her life might have been like had that been the case.