Orenthal James "OJ" Simpson, the professional football player who later gained infamy for being aquitted of killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman, has died of cancer at age 76, his family confirmed on social media.
On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.
— O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) April 11, 2024
He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.
-The Simpson Family
Simpson was long regarded as one of the greatest running backs in NFL history but his professional achievements were overshadowed by Brown and Goldman's deaths and subsequent "trial of the century."
On June 12, 1994, Brown and Goldman were found stabbed to death outside Brown's Los Angeles condo. Simpson, who had a history of domestic violence accusations, was quickly declared a person of interest in the case.
He failed to turn himself into police and instead led law enforcement in a low speed pursuit in a white Ford Bronco. Simpson was represented in court by a high-profile legal team, including Johnnie Cochran and Robert Kardashian, and was found not guilty on both counts of murder.
Following the acquittal, the Goldman family sued Simpson in civil court for the wrongful death and battery of their relative, while the Brown family sued him for battery. Jurors unanimously found Simpson liable for both battery accusations and Goldman's death and he was ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages to both families. Simpson auctioned off many of his belongings, including his Heisman Trophy, to pay damages to the families.
Simpson later generated outrage for publishing a book titled "If I Did It," which described how the murders of Brown and Goldman may have unfolded, hypothetically. Goldman's family sued to gain control of the manuscript and retitled the book "If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer."
"It's all blood money, and unfortunately I had to join the jackals," Simpson told The Associated Press at the time. "It helped me get out of debt and secure my homestead."
In 2007, Simpson was again arrested, this time for leading a group of men into the Palace Station hotel-casino and stealing sports memorabilia at gunpoint. Simpson admitted to taking the items but claimed that were stolen from him. He pleaded not guilty to a litany of felonies criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, assault, robbery, and using a deadly weapon and was convicted on all counts. Sentenced to 33 years in prison, Simpson was released in 2017, still maintaining that he only took property that rightfully belonged to him.
"I've basically spent a conflict-free life, you know," Simpson said at the time.
Simpson was initially lionized for his rags to riches story, after childhood spent in the Los Angeles projects led to an adulthood of stardom on the football field and in Hollywood. He played for the Buffalo Bills for nine seasons, gaining the nickname "The Juice" in a career where he earned four NFL rushing titles.
"I was part of the history of the game," he said, according to the Associated Press. "If I did nothing else in my life, I'd made my mark."
After leaving the NFL, Simpson appeared in several films and television series, including the Naked Gun franchise and the Roots miniseries. He hosted Saturday Night Live had aspirations for glory in acting, saying in 1980 that he hoped to win an Oscar or an Emmy.
He is survived by four children: Arnelle and Jason from his first marriage to Marguerite L. Whitley and Sydney and Justin from his marriage to Brown.
