Former All-American quarterback O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of killing his ex-wife and her friend in 1995 after a high-profile criminal prosecution known as the “Trial of the Century.”
Who Was O.J. Simpson?
Former NFL football player O.J. Simpson was also an actor, broadcaster, and convicted armed robber and kidnapping. He was not found guilty of killing Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Simpson was a USC football player and the Heisman Trophy winner in 1968. Later, he experienced an NFL career that broke records and immense fan recognition.
In1994, in the midst of a mediocrely prosperous career as an actor and broadcaster following his retirement from the stage, Simpson faced charges of killing both Goldman and his ex-wife. In a well-known criminal trial, he was found not guilty, but in a civil court, he was held accountable for their deaths. For the 2007 kidnapping and armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room, Simpson was given a maximum sentence of 33 years in prison in 2008. On October 1, 2017, he was freed from prison shortly after being granted parole. On April 10, 2024, Simpson passed away due to effects from cancer.
O.J. Simpson Childhood and Early Life
Orenthal James Simpson, abbreviated O.J. Simpson was born in San Francisco on July 9, 1947. Orenthal is the name his aunt gave him; it was allegedly the name of a French actress she admired.
Due to rickets, Simpson had bow legs and pigeon toes at the age of two. Up until the age of five, he had to spend many hours a day, nearly every day, wearing a pair of shoes that were joined by an iron rod.
In 1952, Simpson’s parents were divorced. He was raised by his mother in San Francisco’s rough, predominately Black Potrero Hill neighborhood, along with a brother and two sisters. He joined the Persian Warriors gang when he was thirteen years old. In 1962, he spent over a week at the San Francisco Youth Guidance Center following a brawl.
While playing football for Galileo High School, Simpson showed great promise, his low grades at first making it difficult for him to get into a prestigious college program. As a halfback, he got accepted to the University of Southern California after trouncing the opposition at the City College of San Francisco.
O.J. Simpson Career in Football
In December 1975, O.J. Simpson (left) is a player for the Buffalo Bills in a football game.
Simpson first rose to prominence as the USC Trojans’ two-time All-American halfback, who set NCAA records and took home the Heisman Trophy in 1968.
After signing with the Buffalo Bills in 1969, Simpson did not perform well until the offense was designed to highlight his running. Known by his nickname “The Juice,” Simpson led the NFL in the category of yards gained by running four times and exceeded 1,000 yards five times in a row, from 1972 to 1976. He made NFL history in 1973 when he ran for over 2,000 yards in a single season. In addition, the running back set league records that have since been surpassed with his 23 touchdowns in 1975 and 273 rushing yards on Thanksgiving Day 1976 against the Detroit Lions.
Simpson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
O.J. Simpson Performance and Television Analysis
Following his 1979 retirement from professional football, Simpson enjoyed financial success as an actor and sportscaster. While still competing in sports, he dabbled in acting, most famously portraying a man who is falsely accused of murder by the police in the 1974 film The Klansman.
Later, Simpson portrayed a dimwitted assistant detective in the 1988 film The Naked Gun and its sequels. He also frequently made appearances in TV ads for Hertz rental cars, in which he was shown jumping over bags and other barriers to make a flight. He also worked for NBC as a commentator for the NFL and Monday Night Football.
O.J. Simpson Spouses and Kids
Simpson has five children—four of whom are still alive—and was married twice. On June 24, 1967, Simpson wed Marguerite L. Whitley. Together, they were parents to three children: Arnelle, Jason, and Aaren. Seven years later, their 1977-born daughter Aaren drowned in the family pool, one month shy of turning two. In 1979, Simpson and Marguerite were divorced.
Simpson first married Nicole Brown, a waitress, when she was just a teenager. The same year that he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1985, saw the marriage of Simpson and Brown, who then went by the name Nicole Brown Simpson. Together, the couple gave birth to Sydney and Justin.
Brown Simpson told friends and family about her marital troubles, accusing Simpson of physical abuse. After they got into an altercation at a 1989 New Year’s Eve party during which he allegedly threatened to murder her, the former football player entered a not guilty plea to charges of domestic abuse. In an ESPN interview, he dismissed the event, saying, “We had a fight.” Both of us were at fault. Nobody was harmed. We moved on with our lives, and it wasn’t a huge deal. She filed for divorce, which was granted in 1992.
Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson Murder
Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were discovered dead from stabbings outside of her Brentwood condominium in Los Angeles on June 12, 1994. Police suspected Simpson of the crimes based on evidence.
Chase Bronco
Simpson was given till 11 a.m. to turn himself in. on June 17 but, instead, disappeared. Later that day, when he called someone on the Santa Ana Freeway using his cell phone, he was located. Police pursued, starting a slow-speed, nationally broadcast pursuit of a white Ford Bronco driven by former NFL player Al “A.C.” Cowlings, with Simpson riding in the backseat.
Arrest and Enter a Plea
In the evening of June 17, Simpson gave himself up willingly at his Brentwood estate. He claimed that he “wasn’t running,” even though it was discovered that he was in possession of a disguise, a revolver, his passport, and $9,000 in cash. Later, he entered a plea of “absolutely, positively, 100 percent not guilty” to the murder allegations.
O.J. Simpson Murder Trial
Opening statements for Simpson’s criminal prosecution—dubbed the “Trial of the Century”—for the murders of his ex-wife and her friend were made on January 24, 1995, and the trial continued until Simpson was found not guilty on October 3, 1995.
For almost nine months, Simpson’s criminal murder trial jury was sequestered—longer than any jury in California history.
“Dream Team” Attorneys
Simpson allegedly spent an estimated $50,000 per day on his legal “dream team” of attorneys, which he partially funded by selling football memorabilia. Leading the dream squad were F. Robert Kardashian, Alan Dershowitz, Barry Scheck, Robert Shapiro, and Robert Kardashian. Bailey Lee. The attorneys were effective in casting doubt on the way the evidence was handled, even in the face of overwhelming evidence against Simpson.
Exoneration
When a glove that matched the one discovered close to the deceased bodies turned up on Simpson’s land and DNA testing linked him to the bloodstains left behind, lead prosecutor Marcia Clark seemed to have a compelling case against Simpson. But in his parting remarks, Cochran famously threw away the matching gloves, saying, “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”
The jury ruled Simpson not guilty of both murders on October 3, 1995. With 150 million viewers, it was one of the most watched events in the history of television.
Civil Trial
After being brought back before the court for a civil trial, Simpson was found guilty in February 1997 of causing Brown Simpson and Goldman’s deaths. He was compelled to compensate their families with $33.5 million.
Simpson relocated to Florida in 1999, partly because of a state statute that stopped the seizure of his house to partially offset the civil damages. To make money, he put memorabilia up for auction and dreamed of going back into show business. However, in December 2000, he was back in the news after he was accused of beating up another driver after a road rage incident. The following October, he was found not guilty.
Conviction for Armed Robbery and Kidnapping
Simpson and Clarence “C.J.” Stewart were found guilty on 12 charges of armed robbery and kidnapping in October 2008. The two guys were convicted of robbing two dealers of sports memorabilia in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2007 at gunpoint. After being apprehended right away, Simpson informed the authorities that he was merely attempting to retrieve his belongings.
Simpson and Stewart were given prison terms that could have included up to 33 years, with nine years of parole possible, in December 2008.
Years Spent Behind Bars
Simpson was convicted of kidnapping and armed robbery and served nearly nine years in prison. On December 5, 2008, he was given a prison sentence. On October 1, 2017, he was granted parole.
Simpson requested a new trial in May 2013 in order to reexamine his allegations of robbery and kidnapping. He claimed that Yale Galanter, one of his attorneys, had given him bad counsel during his 2008 trial. It was my belongings. In a Las Vegas courtroom, the former running back stated, “I followed what I thought was the law.” According to my attorney, I was not allowed to enter a man’s room. I didn’t enter anyone’s room by force. I didn’t aim to intimidate men. The people said they didn’t steal anything, yet they still had my items.
Five of the convictions that had put Simpson in prison were overturned on July 31, 2013, including two for kidnapping, two for robbery, and one for burglary with a pistol. The Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners decided to grant Simpson parole despite the fact that he had no prior criminal convictions on his record; nonetheless, he was still required to serve out associated penalties.
Later that year, District Judge Linda Marie Bell of Clark County rejected his request for a new trial. In October 2014, Simpson’s attorneys filed an appeal seeking a new trial. However, in September 2015, a panel of the Nevada Supreme Court denied the appeal, finding no basis for overturning the lower court’s judgment. Simpson remained incarcerated at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada, to fulfill his sentence.
On July 20, 2017, Simpson, then 70 years old, went before the Nevada Board of Parole in Carson City via video conference to argue for his release from the Lovelock Correctional Center. Simpson answered questions regarding his crime from the four-member parole board during the live-streamed and televised session. He claimed to be familiar with the memorabilia merchants and to be the owner of the items he had stolen from them. Additionally, he claimed that he hadn’t pointed a gun at anyone and called the men accompanying him “security guards.” He declared, “I’ve essentially lived a conflict-free life.” “I’m not a guy who lived a criminal life,” Simpson added, adding, “I was never a guy who got into fights on the street.” I take things quite straight.
He said that he adhered to the regulations and that he started a Baptist church service when he was incarcerated. “I’ve served my time,” he declared. “I’ve carried it out as politely and as well as I possibly can… Simpson added, “I’ve missed a lot of time, like 36 birthdays with my children. I’ve not complained for nine years; all I’ve done is try to be helpful.” If released, Simpson said, he was looking forward to spending more time with his family.
Arnelle, his eldest child, also provided testimony on behalf of the family in favor of Simpson’s release. He’s like my best buddy and my rock, in my experience,” she remarked. “I am aware of his regret; his regret is sincere.”
A victim of Simpson’s robbery, Bruce Fromong, also provided testimony in support of Simpson. “We should give him another opportunity. “He made a mistake,” Simpson’s attorney stated, adding that their client “made it right” by apologizing to Alfred Beardsley, the other robbery victim who had passed away in 2015.
Just after midnight on October 1, Simpson was released from the Lovelock Correctional Institute in Nevada after his parole was approved by the parole board. A brief video of Simpson being freed from prison was made public by the Department of Corrections.
Later Life and Parole Discharge
Following his release from jail in October 2017, Simpson resided in the Las Vegas region while on parole following a nine-year prison sentence for armed robbery.
In 2017, Simpson’s legal representative Malcolm LaVergne told Vanity Fair that “everyone is talking about reality shows.” “People who say they have a $50 million deal for Simpson or that they are an agency with a business proposal for Simpson” bombard us with calls. Ignoring them all, he is. After ten years in prison, he is a senior citizen who is content with his existence and is just now learning to breathe.
But soon after his release from prison, Simpson’s terrible behavior made headlines once more. He was allegedly ejected from the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas in November 2017 for shattering glassware at the hotel bar while intoxicated. It was said that he complied with the security officers who led him out.
Subsequently, Simpson sued the hotel’s owner, alleging that anonymous staff members had disparaged him by informing celebrity news website TMZ that he was prohibited from entering the premises. The parties came to an unknown agreement in April 2021 to put an end to their disagreement.
Due to his robbery conviction, Simpson was given early release from parole later that year in December 2021, according to his lawyer, making him “a completely free man.”
Diagnosis and Death from Cancer
Throughout his last years, there was a lot of conjecture about Simpson’s health.
Simpson stated in a video he uploaded on the social media platform Twitter (now X) in May 2023 that he had “caught cancer” and “had to do the whole chemo thing.” He did not provide the specific type of disease.
In a video released shortly before the Super Bowl on February 11, 2024, Simpson refuted rumors that he was receiving hospice care and that he was receiving treatment for prostate cancer, which had been reported by a Las Vegas television station in February 2024. “My health is good,” he said. “I mean, obviously I’m dealing with some issues, but I think I’m just about over it.”
But two months later, Simpson’s family verified on social media that the 76-year-old had “succumbed to his battle with cancer” and passed away on April 10, 2024, accompanied by his children and grandchildren.
O.J. Simpson on TV and in Books
Owing to his notoriety and very visible legal background, Simpson has been the focus of numerous film and book endeavors.
If I Did It
Simpson had intended to release If I Did It, a ghostwritten narrative detailing his possible role in the killings of Goldman and Brown Simpson, in late 2006. However, the book’s rights were given to the Goldman family by a federal bankruptcy judge when a HarperCollins publishing contract collapsed.
Published in September 2007, the book was retitled If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer and included commentary.
The Lost Confession
Simpson recorded a companion interview with HarperCollins publisher Judith Regan around the time the book was scheduled to be published, but it was shelved because the relatives of the victims were worried Simpson would find a way to benefit from its broadcast.
The footage was eventually shown in March 2018 as part of a two-hour special called O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession. Simpson describes an encounter with Goldman at his ex-wife’s house in a “hypothetical” scenario, taking a knife from his friend “Charlie” as things get violent. Simpson also admits to being a batterer, saying, “The one thing that hurts me as much as anything in this… besides being considered by some a murderer is being a batterer.”
O.J.: American-made
O.J.: Made in America, an ABC documentary that explored Simpson’s athletic career, prosecution and acquittal, and popularity in American culture, debuted in June 2016 and won the 2017 Academy Award for Best Documentary feature. The documentary was televised as a five-part miniseries.
Simpson v. The People
The 2016 season of American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, which starred actor Cuba Gooding Jr. in the character of the deceased football star, brought the story of the 1994 murders and his ensuing criminal prosecution back into the public eye.
The highly praised program took home eight Primetime Emmy Awards, including two for Sarah Paulson (who played Marcia Clark) and Courtney B. Vance (who played Jonnie Cochran), respectively, for Outstanding Lead Actress and Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie.
O. J Simpson’s Net Worth
Simpson had a net worth of approximately $3 million at the time of his death, according to Celebrity Net Worth. His main source of income had been an NFL pension that was fully funded and anticipated to pay him up to $25,000 a month, as reported by Sports Illustrated in 2017.
In divorce court filings from 1992, Simpson put his estimated net worth at as high as $10.8 million, or around $18 million in today’s dollars.
O.J. Simpson Sayings
I am not guilty at all, not at all.
I made it very clear that I won and that I wasn’t the criminal.
The day you stop blaming others and accept full responsibility for your actions is the day you will finally rise to the top.
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