O.J. Simpson Dead: Former Football Player Dies at 76
The infamous football player, whose trial for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, has died following a battle with cancer, according to a statement from his family.
O.J. Simpson has died at 76. The former NFL player who was also tried for the double murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, died following a battle with cancer on Wednesday, April 10. His family announced the news in a statement on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.
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
— O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) April 11, 2024
The ex-football star‘s family revealed that he was with his children and grandchildren when he passed. O.J. had reportedly been battling prostate cancer, according to TMZ. “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. 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,” they said. His attorney also confirmed his death.
Born in 1947 in San Francisco, O.J. became a college football player for the University of Southern California, where he played running back, in 1967. During his college career, he led the United States in rushing yards. During his senior year, he won the Heisman Trophy.
In 1969, he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills, where he led the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns on multiple occasions. He was also named MVP in 1973 and played in multiple Pro Bowls. He played with the Bills until 1977, when he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers for his final two seasons, before retiring in 1979.
Besides football, O.J. also dabbled in acting, appearing in various roles, such as The Towering Inferno, beginning in the mid-70s. He also served as an NFL commentator. In 2006, he also starred in a hidden camera prank show called Juiced, playing off of his nickname “The Juice.”
Despite being a major football player throughout college and his professional career, O.J.’s accomplishments have been largely overshadowed by his legal issues, most notably his murder trial for his ex-wife and Ron Goldman, beginning in 1994. Nicole and Ron were found stabbed to death outside of her Los Angeles home. The former football player was a person of interest in the investigation, considering that he had been charged with domestic violence against her in 1989. A warrant was filed for his arrest, but he didn’t turn himself in, which led to a police pursuit while he rode in the back his white Ford Bronco. The chase was broadcast during the NBA Finals and had an estimated 95 million viewers.
Following his arrest, O.J.’s trial was a highly publicized event, with lead prosecutor Marcia Clark representing the State of California. The football player’s team was made up of celebrity lawyers, including Johnnie Cochran, Robert Kardashian, Robert Shapiro, and F. Lee Bailey. The trial lasted 11 months and had a national viewership. One of the most noteworthy moments came when Johnnie Cochran had the player put on a glove that was found at the scene of the crime. He uttered the famous phrase “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”
After 11 months, O.J. was found not guilty, but a 2016 poll found that the majority of Americans believe that he was guilty of the crime, according to The Washington Post. Following the trial, Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson’s families filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against him. He was found liable and ordered to pay tens of millions of dollars to the family.
Following the trial, O.J. was also named the author of the controversial book If I Did It, which included a hypothetical description of the murders. Following the civil lawsuit, Ron Goldman’s family received the rights to the book in 2007, and they altered the cover artwork to shrink the size of the word “If” and added the subtitle “Confessions of the Killer,” which made the title appear to read “I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.”
In 2007, O.J. was arrested for connection with a Las Vegas robbery, where he took sports memorabilia from a room at the Palace Station hotel. He was found guilty in October 2008, and he was sentenced to 33 years in prison in December 2008. In July 2017, he was granted parole and released that October.
Two years after his release, O.J. joined Twitter in June 2019. He occasionally shared his thoughts and feelings on various current events through the account.
O.J. is survived by four of his five children. His daughter Aaren died in 1979 when she was 2 years old.