Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story has brought one of America’s most infamous murder cases back into the spotlight. The fourth season of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s anthology series, which premiered on September 17, 2026, stars Ella Beatty as Lizzie Borden and Jessica Barden as stage actress Nance O’Neil. While the show presents a dramatic and highly fictionalized version of their relationship, the real history between Borden and O’Neil is far more complex and, in many ways, more interesting. The series compresses timelines and invents scenes, but the core of their connection—a close, intense bond that raised eyebrows in Victorian-era New England—is rooted in fact.
What the Netflix Series Shows
The show introduces Jessica Barden as Nance O’Neil, a celebrated stage actress who becomes a central figure in Lizzie’s story. In the series, Lizzie meets O’Neil more than a decade before the real timeline, even before the murders of her father and stepmother. The two share a charged, intimate connection that the show frames as romantic. Lizzie invites the actress to dinner, and their relationship becomes a source of tension within the Borden household.
The series also depicts Lizzie’s relationship with the family maid, Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan (played by Vicky Krieps), as a passionate affair. This storyline is entirely fictional. Historical records do not support any romantic involvement between Lizzie and the maid, nor does any evidence suggest Sullivan participated in the murders.
The Real Meeting in 1904
Lizzie Borden and Nance O’Neil actually met in 1904, twelve years after the Borden murders and more than a decade after Lizzie’s acquittal. O’Neil was on tour in Boston, performing in Hermann Sudermann’s play Magda. Lizzie, who had been living a quiet and reclusive life in Fall River, Massachusetts, saw the performance and was deeply moved. She arranged an introduction to the actress.
At the time of their meeting, Lizzie was 44 years old, and O’Neil was 29. The actress was already gaining fame for her portrayals of tragic heroines, drawing comparisons to the legendary French actress Sarah Bernhardt. Lizzie, by contrast, was a social pariah in her hometown, forever linked to the brutal axe murders of her father, Andrew Borden, and stepmother, Abby Borden, in 1892.
A Friendship That Raised Eyebrows
The relationship between Lizzie and Nance was intense and unconventional for the time. Lizzie invited O’Neil and her theater company to her home, Maplecroft, a grand mansion she had purchased with her inheritance. She entertained the actors, provided financial support to O’Neil, and even nursed her back to health during an illness. The two women spent considerable time together, and their closeness sparked widespread gossip.
The exact nature of their relationship remains a subject of debate among historians. Some believe they were romantically involved, while others argue their bond was a deep but platonic friendship. No letters between them have survived, and O’Neil herself later stated that the two did not correspond after their time together ended.
“No letters were exchanged in the nearly quarter of a century which has elapsed since Miss Borden and Miss O’Neil bade each other good-by.” — Nance O’Neil, as quoted in historical records
The Falling Out with Emma Borden
One of the most significant consequences of Lizzie’s friendship with O’Neil was the breakdown of her relationship with her older sister, Emma Borden. The two sisters had been inseparable after Lizzie’s acquittal, living together at Maplecroft for years. In 1905, shortly after Lizzie hosted a party for O’Neil, Emma moved out of the house and never spoke to her sister again.
Historians believe Emma disapproved of Lizzie’s relationship with the actress, though the exact cause of their argument remains speculation. Some accounts suggest Emma was uncomfortable with the attention and rumors the friendship attracted. Whatever the reason, the sisters remained estranged until their deaths. Lizzie died in 1927 at the age of 66, and Emma died just nine days later.
What Happened to Nance O’Neil
After her time with Lizzie, Nance O’Neil continued her successful stage career. She married British actor Alfred Hickman in 1916, and the couple remained together until his death in 1931. O’Neil later transitioned to silent films, appearing in movies such as Ladies of Leisure and Cimarron. She died in 1965 at the age of 90.
Lizzie and O’Neil drifted apart as the actress continued touring with her theater company. There is no evidence that they maintained contact in their later years. O’Neil described their relationship as “ships passing in the night,” suggesting that their connection, however intense, was ultimately brief.
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The Historical Record vs. Dramatic License
Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is a dramatized anthology, not a documentary. The series takes significant creative liberties with the historical record, including its portrayal of O’Neil as a figure who coached Lizzie through her trial—a scenario that never happened. The show also invents a romantic relationship between Lizzie and the maid Bridget Sullivan, which has no basis in fact.
The real story of Lizzie Borden and Nance O’Neil is one of two women from vastly different worlds who found an unexpected connection. Whether that connection was romantic or platonic, it left a lasting mark on both of their lives. Lizzie’s friendship with O’Neil cost her the relationship with her sister, and it added another layer of scandal to a woman who had already been tried and acquitted of murder.
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