Was Bridget Sullivan actually Lizzie Borden’s lover – and was she murder suspect?

The infamous story of Lizzie Borden has been explored in Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story – but it’s safe to say creator Ryan Murphy has used plenty of artistic license.

The series, which follows previous seasons about Jeffrey Dahmer, Lyle and Erik Menendez, and Ed Gein, tells the story of famous murder suspect Lizzie Borden, whose father and stepmother were killed in axe murders in 1892.

In the new Netflix adaptation, Borden (played by Ella Beatty) has a secret affair with her family’s maid Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan (played by Vicky Krieps).

It has never been confirmed that Borden was a lesbian, with theories stemming from the fact she was never married, and had a close friendship with actress Nance O’Neil years after the murders, of which she was acquitted.

Viewers of the series see Sullivan pursue Borden, with the duo forming a romantic bond and conspiring to kill Borden’s father and step-mother.

Was Bridget Sullivan actually Lizzie Borden’s lover?

While the affair between Sullivan and Borden is a key plot point in Monster, there is actually no evidence to suggest anything romantic ever happened.

Rumours of Borden’s relationship with her housemaid swirled in later years, as Sullivan was in the Borden household with Lizzie at the time of the murders.

Theorists have suggested that not only were they lovers, but they were also accomplices in the deaths. Neither theories have ever been confirmed as fact.

Author Ed McBain suggested in his 1984 novel about Lizzie that the duo murdered the Bordens after they were caught together. He later speculated that Lizzie’s step-mother Abby had caught them, leading to her murder. McBain added that Lizzie may have then killed her father Andrew when she confessed to him, and he reacted badly to her relationship with Sullivan.

Despite the rumours about Lizzie’s sexuality, Sullivan’s own sexuality was not something which attracted much speculation. She went on to marry a man, before she died in 1948.

Bridget Sullivan and the Borden murders

Both Lizzie Borden and Bridget Sullivan were at the Borden home at the time of the murders, leading to theories that they were somehow involved.

Lizzie was the prime suspect, but she was acquitted at trial. The murders are still officially unsolved.

However theories later emerged about Sullivan’s involvement, with questions arising around how neither she nor Borden heard the attacks and also stayed out of harm’s way.

The duo were described as “partners in crime” in an article in 1978, however there is little to no evidence that Sullivan was involved at all.

Who killed the Bordens?

While many still believe Lizzie Borden killed Andrew and Abby, their murders are still unsolved.

Another theory is that John Morse, Lizzie’s uncle from her mother’s side, killed the Bordens and he was a suspect for some time. In Monster, he is played by Joey Pollari.

Lizzie’s sister Emma (played by Billie Lourd in Monster) was also considered a suspect by crime writer Frank Spiering in his 1947 book Lizzie, despite the fact she had a strong alibi that placed her around 15 miles from the scene of the crime.

Another theory involved a man alleged to be Andrew’s illegitimate son, “William”, however after research by author Leonard Rebello, it was proved he was not Andrew’s son at all.

You can stream Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story on Netflix now.

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