A Democrat candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates has been exposed for livestreaming graphic sex acts with her husband for online audiences, soliciting viewers to contribute tips for “a good cause.” But in the face of what should be a campaign-ending scandal, Susanna Gibson is continuing her competitive race, drawing support from female voters and prominent Democrat lawmakers.
Susanna Gibson, a 40-year-old nurse practitioner and married mother of two, is currently running a tight race to represent Virginia’s 57th District in Henrico County just outside Richmond. Her primary competition for the seat is Republican David Owen, a retired home builder, and the race has already attracted an unusual amount of attention and funding for an off-year state legislative election. Since launching her campaign in July 2022, Gibson reportedly raised $376,895 in funding, though the majority of that was spent during a costly Democratic primary faceoff in June. Owen raised $339,621 in that same time period, retaining much of it after facing no primary challenger.
Reproductive rights have become the primary issue in the race between Owen and Gibson, with Gibson billing herself as an unapologetically pro-abortion candidate motivated by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Owen, in contrast, is pro-life and supports a 15-week abortion ban as a minimum.
I have served our community as a Nurse Practitioner for over a decade. My position has always been clear: politicians have no place in the exam room.
My opponent? He was caught talking about outlawing abortion.
They'll go as far as we let them. https://t.co/Q6I6R4YPSd
— Susanna Gibson (@SusannaSGibson) September 6, 2023
Gibson also supports gun violence reduction efforts targeting “assault weapons” and strengthening and reforming public schools, and she also boasts a resounding endorsement from former Virginia Governor Ralph Northam (who notably supported late-term abortion and also nearly resigned following a blackface incident).
However, despite her competitive campaigning so far, her past online activities are threatening to bring an end to her political aspirations.
Learn the benefits of becoming a Valuetainment Member and subscribe today!
As initially reported by the Washington Post, Gibson and her husband, lawyer John David Gibson, streamed more than a dozen sex tapes on the adult-oriented website Chaturbate under the screenname “HotWifeExperience.” During the streams, viewers were allowed to request specific activities in exchange for tips and digital tokens. When the public streams ended, archived footage was uploaded to a number of other publicly-available pornography websites like Recurbate in September 2022, several months after she declared he candidacy. It is unclear how long Gibson had been streaming before her campaign launch.
In the steamy videos shared with roughly 5,700 Chaturbate followers, Gibson solicited donations in exchange for “private room” showings of even raunchier acts. In one video, she tells the audience, “Y’all can watch me pee if you tip me and some tokens. Again, I’m raising money for a good cause.” It is unknown whether that cause was her upcoming political campaign or an affiliated group.
In other videos, she identifies herself as ethically non-monogamous, says she likes being “choked and hit,” and offers anal sex in exchange for tips, which directly violates Chaturbate’s policy against “requesting or demanding specific acts for tips.”
The Washington Post was first alerted to the existence of these videos by a Republican operative unaffiliated with the Owens campaign. The videos and images were then verified by other outlets and discovered on additional public sites.
In response, Gibson issued a public statement calling it “an illegal invasion of my privacy.” “It won’t intimidate me and it won’t silence me,” she declared. “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.” Gibson’s campaign lawyers have further threatened legal action against the parties responsible for spreading the videos, citing Virginia’s laws against “revenge porn.”
It is important to note that despite Gibson’s claim this this constitutes a sex crime or an invasion of privacy, the videos were all streamed on a website that was not password-protected, and any archived footage is likewise publicly available. However, Gibson and her husband maintain that they did not authorize reuploads of their content, nor were they aware of its existence on other sites.
Other Democrats have rallied around Gibson following the revelations. Virginia State Senator L. Louise Lucas called for “the biggest fundraising day of Susanna Gibson’s campaign” to defend her from Republican efforts to take control of the state legislature. Emily’s List, an advocacy group for Democratic female candidates, said “People are coming out in support of Susanna Gibson because they know that Republicans are coming after her because she was standing up for them.”
Addressing news of the videos, David Owen released a written statement, saying in part “Me and my team found out about this story today like everyone else. I’m sure this is a difficult time for Susanna and her family, and I’m remaining focused on my campaign.”
The Virginia legislative election will take place on November 7, with early voting beginning September 22.
Add comment