A Democrat whose campaign for Virginia state legislature was derailed by a sex tape scandal has now been charged with domestic violence.
Susanna Gibson Payne, 42, was arrested for assault and battery of a family member on September 22, according to The New York Post.
However, she contends that her estranged husband, John David Gibson, 44, was the real aggressor, alleging he lodged the complaint as an act of revenge.
Susanna told the Post that John has been harassing her since she filed for divorce.
She alleges he assaulted her during a custody exchange in June as she ‘protected our son’.
She stated that John proceeded to ‘file a retaliatory criminal complaint against me,’ leading police in Henrico County to issue a misdemeanor warrant for her arrest over three months later, Susanna reported to the newspaper.
She said she turned herself in ‘immediately’ and was later released.
John refuted the accusations Susanna made against him, firmly stating: ‘I strongly deny any allegations that I became physically ”aggressive” or assaulted Susanna during the June incident. From my understanding, the police reached the same conclusion.’
He also denied asking police to press charges against his ex-wife, rubbishing her claims that it was an act of ‘retaliation.’
‘There was no retaliation – I don’t even know what I would be retaliating against,’ he said.
Such scandals are not unfamiliar to the pair, as their explicit online sex shows were leaked to the public amidst Susanna’s 2023 campaign for the state’s House of Delegates.
In the aftermath, Susanna claimed that she and John did not consent to their Chaturbate live-stream being recorded, and argued the leak was criminal.
Susanna Gibson Payne, 42, was arrested on September 22 after turning herself in when she was accused of assault and battery of a family member
The former political candidate has since been released and claims her estranged husband, 44-year-old John David Gibson, has been intimidating her since she initiated divorce proceedings.
Susanna says her estranged husband has been ‘arrested three times since I filed for divorce.’
Documents obtained by the Post reveal that in December, John faced multiple arrests for breaching a protection order, using threatening language, and alleged extortion.
The arrests were reportedly made just days after Susanna applied for a protection order after alleging ‘family abuse’ against John. Her request was granted in January.
John also railed against this claim, stating: ‘I was never arrested, much less convicted of a protective order violation involving Susanna. I have never been charged with any crime against her.’
In 2023, Susanna was a promising Democratic candidate on track to win an upset victory for the Richmond delegate seat in the Virginia state House race.
She ultimately lost the race, but only by less than 1,000 votes.
The nurse turned aspiring lawmaker has since become an advocate against gender-based and sexual violence.
She founded the MyOwn Image organization which lobbies for updated online privacy legislation.
‘Survivors deserve a justice system that recognizes abuse dynamics and protects our safety, not one that allows abusers to weaponize the law as continued control,’ she told Politico after her sex video scandal broke out.
‘My political opponents and their Republican allies have proven they’re willing to commit a sex crime to attack me and my family because there’s no line they won’t cross to silence women when they speak up.’
Susanna (pictured in her mugshot) alleged the allegations against her were no more than a ‘retaliatory criminal complaint’ made by her estranged husband
Susanna Gibson’s bid for state legislature in 2023 was derailed when her and John’s X-rated online sex shows (pictured) were leaked to the media
Susanna’s explicit content was filmed with her husband on the live-streaming platform Chaturbate, and archived off-site.
She was accused of filming the content with the intent of getting tips in the form of tokens, which the site says can be converted to cash, in return for carrying out specific sex acts.
Payment for sex videos is a violation of the website’s policy.
But Susanna claimed that tokens are of nominal value and said she never made money from engaging on the platform.
She maintained she was fulfilling her husband’s fantasy.
‘It won’t intimidate me and it won’t silence me,’ Susanna said at the time, noting the leak violated the state’s revenge porn laws.
She said she ‘never once’ thought of dropping out of the 2023 race. But shared that what she went through in the immediate aftermath of the disclosures, ‘I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.’
Journalists loitered outside her home for days, unfamiliar vehicles lingered in the street and death threats landed in her mailbox, she said. Her social media mentions were also replete with criticism and slurs.
Susanna, at the time, also maintained that nothing about her use of the streaming platform had any bearing on her qualifications to hold public office. She also said sex between consenting adults should never merit a news story.
Susanna (pictured addressing the 2022 Women’s Summit in Virginia Beach) has since become an advocate against gender-based and sexual violence. She founded the MyOwn Image organization which lobbies for updated online privacy legislation
‘What is newsworthy is abortion rights are on the line in Virginia,’ she told AP at the time. ‘What is newsworthy is gun violence. What is not newsworthy is someone´s consensual sex life within the confines of their marriage or with any partner.’
A nurse practitioner with degrees from the University of Virginia and Columbia University, Susanna said she decided to run for office after the Roe v Wade decision guaranteeing a constitutional right to an abortion was overturned in 2022.
She won a competitive June primary and centered her message to voters on protecting abortion rights as the state’s Republican governor Glenn Youngkin pledged to enact stricter limits.
After losing the November 2023 election, Susanna said she wasn’t ruling out another run for office someday.
