The question was Lizzie Borden a lesbian has attracted renewed attention following the release of Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story in September 2026. The series revisits the infamous 1892 murders of Andrew and Abby Borden and places considerable emphasis on Lizzie Borden’s relationships with women. However, the historical record does not provide enough evidence to establish Lizzie Borden’s sexual orientation with certainty.
The strongest historical basis for speculation about Borden’s sexuality comes from her unusually close relationship with actress Nance O’Neil more than a decade after her acquittal. At the same time, there is no surviving documentation—such as an explicit declaration, confirmed romantic correspondence, or other conclusive evidence—that proves Borden identified as a lesbian.
That distinction is especially important because modern entertainment has increasingly presented theories about Borden’s private life as established fact.
Was Lizzie Borden a Lesbian? The Short Answer
There is no definitive historical evidence that Lizzie Borden was a lesbian.
Historians and biographers have discussed the possibility because of Borden’s close relationship with actress Nance O’Neil and because Borden never married. Some researchers have interpreted aspects of the women’s relationship as potentially romantic, while others emphasize that the available evidence is insufficient to determine whether it was sexual or romantic.
One important complication is that the word “lesbian” describes a modern sexual identity, while Borden lived from 1860 to 1927. Applying a contemporary label to a woman from that period can therefore be difficult unless there is direct evidence about how she understood her own sexuality.
The most historically responsible answer is that Lizzie Borden’s sexuality remains unknown.
Why Do People Think Lizzie Borden Was a Lesbian?
The speculation primarily centers on Borden’s relationship with Nance O’Neil.
After Borden was acquitted of murdering her father and stepmother in 1893, she remained in Fall River, Massachusetts, where she lived with her sister Emma. In the years that followed, she developed an interest in theater and frequently attended performances.
In 1904, Borden met actress Nance O’Neil, a prominent stage performer. Their friendship subsequently became unusually close and attracted attention from newspapers and later historians.
Borden reportedly visited O’Neil and became involved with the actress’s theatrical circle. O’Neil and members of her company were also entertained by Borden at Maplecroft, the home Borden shared with Emma.
The intensity of the relationship helped create later speculation that the two women were lovers.
However, a close friendship is not proof of a sexual relationship.
Who Was Nance O’Neil?
Nance O’Neil was the stage name of Gertrude Lamson, an American actress who became well known during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
She was particularly associated with dramatic roles and was sometimes promoted as an American counterpart to the celebrated French actress Sarah Bernhardt. O’Neil’s professional career took her across the United States and abroad.
When Borden encountered O’Neil in 1904, O’Neil was already an established theatrical figure.
Their relationship therefore connected two women who were both famous, although for very different reasons. O’Neil was a theatrical celebrity, while Borden remained internationally recognizable because of the murder case that had dominated American newspapers more than a decade earlier.
What Was the Relationship Between Lizzie Borden and Nance O’Neil?
The exact nature of the relationship remains uncertain.
Historical accounts establish that Borden admired O’Neil and that the two became friends. Borden reportedly traveled to see O’Neil perform, visited her property in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, and entertained O’Neil and members of her theatrical circle.
Borden also provided financial assistance connected with O’Neil and her circle. Researchers have described Borden as deeply fascinated by the actress and eager to participate in her world.
There was also a personal element to their relationship that has fueled modern interpretations.
According to accounts discussed by recent historians, O’Neil gave Borden a poetry book with a dedication addressed to her as “my dear Lizbeth” and signed with O’Neil’s nickname, Daphne. The evidence demonstrates affection and closeness, but it does not establish a sexual relationship.
Historian Cara Robertson, author of The Trial of Lizzie Borden, has characterized the relationship as romantic while distinguishing that assessment from certainty that it was sexual. Other scholars have said they could see a romantic interpretation but have likewise acknowledged the absence of conclusive evidence.
Did Lizzie Borden and Nance O’Neil Have a Romantic Relationship?
There is evidence for an exceptionally close friendship, but the historical record does not conclusively establish that the relationship was romantic or sexual.
This is one of the most important distinctions when examining the question.
Some historians interpret the intensity of Borden’s attachment, the private nicknames, gifts, travel, financial assistance and social relationship as suggestive of something more than an ordinary friendship. Others caution that those details can also exist within very close friendships, particularly among women living in an era when marriage and sexuality were discussed differently from today.
The available evidence therefore supports historical speculation, rather than a definitive conclusion.
What About Lizzie Borden and Bridget Sullivan?
This is where the distinction between historical evidence and modern television becomes particularly important.
Bridget Sullivan, often called “Maggie” within the Borden household, was the family’s Irish-born maid. She was present at the Borden home on August 4, 1892, when Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered.
There is no reliable historical evidence that Lizzie Borden and Bridget Sullivan were lovers.
Recent coverage surrounding Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story has specifically highlighted the difference between the show’s portrayal and the historical record. The series presents a romantic relationship between Lizzie and Bridget, but historians and historical researchers have found no documentation establishing such a relationship.
The idea of Lizzie and Bridget as romantic partners is also not a new historical discovery. It has appeared in fictional treatments of the Borden case, including Evan Hunter’s 1984 novel Lizzie. Later books, films and television productions have continued to develop the idea.
That means viewers should not treat the relationship portrayed in fictional productions as evidence that the historical relationship actually existed.
Does Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story Prove Lizzie Was a Lesbian?
No.
The Netflix series premiered on September 17, 2026, and has brought renewed attention to questions surrounding Borden’s personal life. But the series is a dramatization rather than a documentary reconstruction of every historical event.
Recent fact-checking and entertainment coverage has identified numerous fictionalized or substantially altered elements in the series. These include aspects of Borden’s relationship with Bridget Sullivan and its treatment of Nance O’Neil.
Consequently, scenes showing sexual or romantic relationships cannot be used as historical proof.
The renewed interest is useful, however, because it has prompted audiences to investigate what is actually known about Borden rather than relying solely on fictional portrayals.
What Do Historians Say About Lizzie Borden’s Sexuality?
There is no single historical consensus establishing Borden’s sexual orientation.
Modern researchers have approached the subject cautiously because the surviving evidence is limited.
Cara Robertson has discussed the Borden-O’Neil relationship as potentially romantic while stopping short of claiming definitive evidence of a sexual relationship. Theater historian Jennifer Jones Cavenaugh has also examined the relationship in scholarship concerning Nance O’Neil and Lizzie Borden.
The existence of serious scholarly discussion does not mean that one interpretation has been proven.
Instead, the evidence shows why the question continues to attract historians: Borden and O’Neil clearly had a close relationship, contemporary gossip surrounded them, and the relationship was significant enough to become part of the historical record.
What cannot be demonstrated from the surviving evidence is precisely how Borden understood that relationship.
Did Lizzie Borden Ever Identify Herself as a Lesbian?
There is no known reliable statement from Borden identifying herself as a lesbian.
This is particularly significant.
Borden lived in an era when the terminology, social categories and public understanding of same-sex relationships were different from those of the 21st century. Even if she had experienced romantic or sexual attraction to women, that would not necessarily mean she would have described herself using the word “lesbian.”
Therefore, historians must distinguish between possible same-sex relationships and a documented sexual identity.
In Borden’s case, neither is firmly established.
Was Lizzie Borden Married?
No. Lizzie Borden never married.
After her acquittal, she continued living in Fall River and eventually shared Maplecroft with her sister Emma. She remained unmarried for the rest of her life. Borden died in 1927 at age 66.
Her unmarried status has sometimes been cited as evidence in discussions about her sexuality.
However, being unmarried does not establish sexual orientation.
Women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries could remain unmarried for many reasons, including personal preference, family circumstances, financial independence, social expectations or a desire to avoid marriage. Consequently, Borden’s unmarried status should be treated as biographical information rather than proof that she was lesbian.
Why Did Lizzie Borden and Emma Borden Become Estranged?
Borden’s relationship with O’Neil is also connected to the eventual separation between Lizzie and her sister Emma.
The sisters remained together for years after the murder trial and lived at Maplecroft. In 1905, however, Emma left the home and the sisters never reconciled.
Contemporary reports connected the dispute with O’Neil, the actress’s theatrical circle and the social life surrounding Borden’s home. But the precise reasons for the sisters’ permanent estrangement remain more complicated than simply saying that Emma objected to a romantic relationship.
This is another area where later storytelling can simplify a more complicated historical situation.
The evidence shows that O’Neil was an important factor in the period immediately preceding the sisters’ separation, but it does not prove that Emma left because she discovered that Lizzie was having a sexual relationship with O’Neil.
Why Is the Question So Difficult to Answer?
One reason is the limited nature of the surviving personal evidence.
Borden lived in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and there is no known body of personal writings in which she clearly explains her sexual orientation.
Another problem is that much of the Borden story has been surrounded by sensationalism for more than a century.
Her 1892 murder case became one of America’s most famous criminal stories. She was acquitted in 1893, but public suspicion never disappeared. The case generated books, newspaper stories, stage productions, films, television programs and fictional interpretations.
That long history of storytelling makes it especially important to distinguish documented events from later theories.
How the 1892 Murder Case Affects Discussions of Her Personal Life
Lizzie Borden was tried for killing her father, Andrew Borden, and her stepmother, Abby Borden, in Fall River on August 4, 1892.
She was acquitted in 1893.
The murders remain one of America’s most famous unsolved historical crimes, and Borden’s acquittal did not prevent generations of speculation about her life.
Because her public image was already extraordinary, later details about her private life—including her friendship with O’Neil—became part of the larger Borden mythology.
This is one reason modern entertainment can easily blur the line between historical evidence and speculation.
Was Nance O’Neil Really Lizzie Borden’s Girlfriend?
The most accurate answer is not proven.
There is substantial evidence that O’Neil and Borden were close friends. There is also historical evidence that their relationship attracted gossip and that Borden was particularly fascinated by O’Neil.
Some historians interpret their relationship as romantic, while others emphasize that the surviving evidence does not establish a sexual relationship.
O’Neil later described Borden in relatively restrained terms after Borden’s death in 1927. Her later comments did not provide definitive confirmation of a romantic relationship either.
Therefore, calling O’Neil Borden’s “girlfriend” as a confirmed historical fact goes beyond the available evidence.
What Is Known Versus What Is Speculation?
The historical record can be separated into several categories.
Documented: Lizzie Borden never married, developed a close friendship with Nance O’Neil around 1904, spent time with O’Neil and her theatrical circle, and became estranged from Emma in 1905.
Historically reported: Contemporary and later accounts described the unusual closeness between Borden and O’Neil and connected O’Neil with the circumstances surrounding Emma’s departure.
Debated: Whether Borden and O’Neil’s relationship was romantic.
Unproven: Whether Borden and O’Neil had a sexual relationship.
Unsupported by historical evidence: The claim that Lizzie Borden and Bridget Sullivan were lovers or that they conspired romantically in the murders.
Unknown: How Lizzie Borden herself would have described her sexual orientation.
The Bottom Line on Lizzie Borden’s Sexuality
So, was Lizzie Borden a lesbian?
The historical record does not allow a definitive yes or no.
There is legitimate historical interest in the possibility because of Borden’s close relationship with Nance O’Neil, and some historians have interpreted that relationship as romantic. At the same time, no conclusive evidence establishes that Borden was sexually involved with O’Neil or any other woman, and there is no known statement in which Borden identified herself as a lesbian.
The recent Netflix series has brought the question back into the spotlight, but its dramatized scenes should not be confused with historical documentation. Recent reporting has specifically noted that the production takes substantial creative liberties with Borden’s life and relationships.
The most defensible historical conclusion is therefore that Lizzie Borden’s sexual orientation remains unknown, while her unusually close relationship with Nance O’Neil remains a subject of historical debate.
What do you think about the historical evidence surrounding Lizzie Borden and Nance O’Neil? Share your thoughts and stay tuned for further updates on the enduring Borden mystery.