Nance O’Neil was a major stage actor who became friends with Lizzie Borden in 1904, nearly 12 years after Andrew and Abby Borden were killed. Their friendship is part of the historical record. A romantic relationship has never been proved.
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story changes that timeline. Jessica Barden’s Nance meets Ella Beatty’s Lizzie during the 1893 trial and helps shape how she presents herself in court. The real women had not met yet.
Who was Nance O’Neil?
Born Gertrude Lamson in Oakland in 1874, O’Neil became a touring theater star known for intense dramatic roles. Newspapers called her the “American Bernhardt,” comparing her with celebrated French actor Sarah Bernhardt. O’Neil later worked in silent films and early Hollywood productions.
How did Nance O’Neil meet Lizzie Borden?
Lizzie reportedly approached O’Neil backstage after a Boston performance in 1904. O’Neil then visited Maplecroft, Lizzie’s home in Fall River, and entered her social circle. Accounts from the period connect their friendship with dinners and gatherings at the house.
Lizzie’s sister Emma left Maplecroft during the same period. Later retellings often blame O’Neil and the parties around her, although the exact cause of the sisters’ final break is not certain.
Were Nance O’Neil and Lizzie Borden a couple?
There is no surviving letter, diary, or other direct evidence that proves a romance. The idea grew from their closeness, Lizzie’s friendships with women in theater, and the social assumptions made about an unmarried woman living independently. O’Neil later described the friendship as brief and denied the more sensational stories.
What does Monster change?
The series places Nance at Lizzie’s trial and gives her a role that belonged to Lizzie’s legal team in real life. It also makes the relationship more immediate and emotionally charged. Our Monster cast guide covers Jessica Barden, Ella Beatty, Vicky Krieps, and Billie Lourd, while our true-story explainer tracks the show’s larger changes.
The friendship was real. The 1893 meeting was invented for television. A romance is possible, but the surviving evidence does not confirm one.
