A shocking lawsuit accuses the children of Senator Ron Wyden and his wife, Nancy Bass Wyden, of sexually and emotionally abusing her assistant, Brandon O’Brien — abuse that allegedly led to his suicide in May 2025.
The suit, filed by O’Brien’s husband, Thomas Maltezos, claims Brandon endured harassment, sexual misconduct, and homophobic slurs while working for Nancy, heiress to the Strand Bookstore and a New York real estate mogul. The alleged abuse began shortly after he was hired in 2022 and included disturbing behavior from both of the couple’s younger children.
Despite witnessing some incidents, the lawsuit claims Nancy did little to stop it. After Brandon quit in frustration, Nancy allegedly retaliated by accusing him of stealing $650,000, hiring a private investigator, and spreading damaging rumors — claims that were later dropped.
On May 26, 2025, Brandon died by suicide. His husband blames the abuse and retaliation he suffered while working for the Wyden family.
Nancy and her legal team deny the allegations, calling them false and an attempt to distract from Brandon’s alleged misconduct.
The case is ongoing, but the tragedy has cast a dark cloud over one of America’s most prominent political families.