O. J. Simpson

Early life

Born in 1947 in San Francisco, California, Simpson was a son of Eunice (), an orderly at a psychiatric ward, and Jimmy Lee Simpson, a custodian for a Federal Reserve Bank and a private club and a cook. His father was also a well-known drag queen in the Bay Area. Later in life, Jimmy Simpson announced that he was gay. He died of AIDS in 1986.

Simpson's maternal grandparents were from Louisiana. His aunt gave him the name Orenthal, which she told him was the name of a French or Italian actor she liked. He was called "O.J." from birth and did not know that Orenthal was his given name until a teacher read it in third grade. Simpson had one brother, Melvin Leon "Truman" Simpson, one living sister, Shirley Simpson-Baker, and one deceased sister, Carmelita Simpson-Durio.

Simpson grew up in San Francisco and lived with his family in the housing projects of the low-income Potrero Hill neighborhood. As a child, Simpson developed rickets and wore braces on his legs until the age of five, giving him his bowlegged stance. He earned money by scalping tickets and collecting seat cushions at Kezar Stadium. After his parents separated in 1952 (when Simpson was 4), he and his siblings were raised by their mother.

In his early teenage years, Simpson joined a street gang called the Persian Warriors and was briefly incarcerated at the San Francisco Youth Guidance Center. His future wife Marguerite, whom he dated in high school, described him as "really an awful person then." He was arrested three times. After his third arrest, Simpson happened to meet baseball star Willie Mays, who encouraged the youth to avoid trouble. He said it helped persuade him to reform.

Simpson first practiced sports at the Potrero Hill Recreation Center, which welcomed black people. At Galileo High School (now Galileo Academy of Science and Technology) in San Francisco, Simpson played for the school football team, the Galileo Lions. He played as a tackle and then as a fullback. Meanwhile, he started earning money by organizing dances and charging admission. He graduated in 1965.

College football and track career

Although Simpson was an All-City football player at Galileo, his mediocre high-school grades prevented him from attracting the interest of many college recruiters. After a childhood friend's injury in the Vietnam War influenced Simpson to stay out of the military, he enrolled at City College of San Francisco in 1965. He played football both as a running back and defensive back and was named to the Junior College All-American team as a running back. City College won the Prune Bowl against Long Beach City College, and many colleges sought Simpson as a transfer student for football.

In 1967, Simpson enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, which he had admired as a young football fan. He had also considered going to the University of Utah. He played running back with the Trojans for head coach John McKay in 1967 and 1968. Simpson led the nation in rushing both years under McKay: in 1967 with 1,543 yards and 13 touchdowns, and in 1968 with 1,880 yards on 383 carries.

In their 1967 game against their crosstown rival UCLA, USC was down by six points in the fourth quarter with under 11 minutes remaining. On their own 36, USC backup quarterback Toby Page called an audible on third and seven. Simpson's 64-yard touchdown run tied the score, and the extra point provided a 21–20 lead, which was the final score. This was the biggest play in what is regarded as one of the greatest football games of the 20th century, and pictures of the play were published in many national magazines. Another dramatic touchdown in the same game is the subject of the Arnold Friberg oil painting, O.J. Simpson Breaks for Daylight. Simpson also won the Walter Camp Award in 1967 and was a two-time unanimous All-American. USC would go on to win the national title for that year. Even though Simpson led the nation in college football rushing yards, the Heisman Trophy went to UCLA's Gary Beban; Simpson was second in voting.

Simpson was an aspiring track athlete. Before playing football at USC, he ran the third leg of a sprint relay quartet that broke the world record in the 4 × 110-yard relay at the NCAA track championships in Provo, Utah on June 17, 1967. They had a time of 38.6 seconds. Also that year, he had a 100-yard dash time of 9.53 seconds. He lost a 100 m race at Stanford University against the then-British record holder Menzies Campbell.

As Simpson rose in popularity, he avoided controversy, such as not participating in a boycott of the 1968 Olympics, which was supported by people like Martin Luther King Jr. as a protest against racial injustice in the U.S.

College statistics

NFL career

Buffalo Bills

The first selection in the 1969 NFL/AFL draft was held by the AFL's Buffalo Bills, after finishing 1–12–1 in 1968. They took Simpson, but he demanded the largest contract in professional sports history: $650,000 over five years (equivalent to $ in ). This led to a standoff with Bills' owner, Ralph Wilson, as Simpson threatened to become an actor and skip professional football. Eventually, Wilson agreed to pay Simpson.

Simpson entered professional football with high expectations, Despite Johnson devising a new offense for Simpson, Simpson was still ineffective that year. After the 1971 season, the Bills fired Johnson and brought in Lou Saban as head coach.

In 1972, Simpson rushed for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, gaining a league-leading total of 1,251 yards. In 1973, Simpson became the first player to break the highly coveted 2,000-yard rushing mark, with 2,003 total rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Simpson broke the mark during the last game of the season against the New York Jets with a seven-yard rush. That same game also saw Simpson break Jim Brown's single-season rushing record of 1,863 yards. For his performance, Simpson won that year's NFL MVP Award and Bert Bell Award. He was also named The Sporting News Athlete of the Year, received the Hickok Belt as the top professional athlete of the year, and was selected as the Associated Press Athlete of the Year. While other players have broken the 2,000-yard mark since Simpson, his record was established when the NFL had only 14 games per season, as opposed to the 16-game seasons that began in 1978. In 2013, Simpson was reported still holding the rushing record for 14 games.

Simpson gained over 1,000 rushing yards in each of the next three seasons. He did not lead the league in rushing in 1974, but did cross the 1,000-yard barrier despite a knee injury. In game 11 of 1974, he passed Ken Willard as the rushing leader among active players, a position he maintained until his retirement more than five seasons later. Simpson also made his first and only playoff appearance during the 1974 season. In a divisional game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Simpson rushed for 49 yards on 15 attempts and caught a touchdown pass, but the Bills lost the game 32–14. Simpson won the rushing title again in 1975, rushing for 1,817 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also had a career-high 426 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns that season.

Simpson again led the league in rushing in 1976, rushing for 1,503 yards and eight touchdowns. He had the best game of his career during that season's Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions on November 25. In that game, Simpson rushed for a then-record 273 yards on 29 attempts and scored two touchdowns. Despite Simpson's performance, the Bills lost the game 27–14.

A low light that season came during a game against the New England Patriots a few weeks earlier when defensive end Mel Lunsford and several other Patriots defenders stuffed the superstar running back for no gain. Still, as Simpson tried to continue driving forward, Lunsford bodyslammed him to the ground. Simpson got up and punched Lunsford, which prompted Lunsford to swing back. Bills offensive lineman Reggie McKenzie then jumped on Lunsford's back. Still, Lunsford bent down and flung McKenzie over his head. He went back to swinging at Simpson before a melee of the two teams stopped the fight and ended up in a pile on the field. Lunsford and Simpson were ejected from the game as the Patriots' solid defense persisted, with New England winning 20–10 to finish the 1976 season 11–3. The Bills finished 2–12.

Simpson played only seven games in 1977 due to injury.

San Francisco 49ers

On March 28, 1978, prior to the 1978 season (the last year on his three-year contract that paid him $733,000), the Bills traded Simpson to his hometown San Francisco 49ers for five draft picks (2nd and 3rd round draft pick for 1978, a 1st round and 4th round pick for 1979, and a 2nd round pick for 1980); Simpson had tried to get the Bills to engineer a trade to the Los Angeles Rams prior to 1976 because of him and his wife's preference for the West Coast. The team previously had Delvin Williams and Wilbur Jackson in the backfield. Simpson played in San Francisco for two seasons, rushing for 1,053 yards and four touchdowns. Physical problems with his knees influenced him to retire from football. For his last home game at Candlestick Park, the 49ers held an "O.J. Simpson Day" at the stadium. His final NFL game was on December 16, 1979, a 31–21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium. His final play was a 10-yard run on 3rd and 10 for a first down.

Career summary

Simpson gained 11,236 rushing yards, placing him 2nd on the NFL's all-time rushing list when he retired; he now stands at 22nd. He was named NFL Player of the Year in 1973, and played in six Pro Bowls. He was the only player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a 14-game season, and the only player to rush for over 200 yards in six different games in his career. From 1972 to 1976, Simpson averaged 1,540 rushing yards per (14 game) season, 5.1 yards per carry, and he won the NFL rushing title four times. Simpson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, his first year of eligibility. In 2019, he was named to the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Simpson also occasionally returned kickoffs during his early career, finishing with 33 returns for 990 yards and a touchdown, an average of 30 yards per return.

Simpson acquired the nickname "Juice" as a play on "O.J.", a common abbreviation for orange juice. "Juice" is also a colloquial synonym for electricity or electrical power, and hence a metaphor for any powerful entity; the Bills' offensive line at Simpson's peak was nicknamed "The Electric Company".

Post season achievements

Simpson played in only one playoff game during his 11-season Hall of Fame career: a 1974 Divisional Round game between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Simpson was held to 49 rushing yards on fifteen carries to go with three receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown as the Bills lost 32–14. Indeed, 1974 would be one of only three winning seasons the Bills would tally in Simpson's nine years with the team.

Other activities during NFL career

In 1975, Simpson competed on the television series Superstars, and was the season's winner. He received $39,250 in prize money. Following the example of the previous season's winner (Kyle Rote Jr.), Simpson donated $5,000 of his prize money to the Special Olympics.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

NFL records

• Fastest player to gain 1,000 rushing yards in season: 1,025 in seven games in 1973 and 1,005 in seven games in 1975 (tied with Terrell Davis).
• Fastest player to gain 2,000 rushing yards in season: 2,003 in 14 games in 1973.
• Most rushing yards per game in a season: 143.1 per game in 1973.

Acting career

1960s and 1970s

Simpson began acting while at USC and appeared on Dragnet in an uncredited role as a potential recruit to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). He became a professional actor before playing professional football, appearing in the first episode of Medical Center—as Cicely Tyson's husband despite being 23 years her junior—while negotiating his contract with the Bills.

Before Simpson's murder trial, sportswriter Ralph Wiley wrote in 2002, white people considered Simpson a "unifying symbol of all races". History professor Lou Moore said that this made Simpson the first Black athlete to be "put on". In 1975, People magazine described Simpson as "the first [Black] athlete to become a bona fide lovable media superstar". Simpson avoided starring in blaxploitation films, choosing third or fourth lead roles while studying experienced stars like Lee Marvin and Richard Burton. His Hertz commercials from 1975 benefited Simpson's acting career, but he sometimes intentionally chose non-positive roles; "I've got to tear down that picture of O.J. Simpson, the clean-cut athlete, to get believability into whatever part I happen to be playing." He said in 1980 that "The Oscar or the Emmy says you've reached a level of competence in this business, and I would love to have one."

While in the NFL, Simpson appeared in productions such as the television miniseries Roots (1977), and the dramatic motion pictures The Klansman (1974), The Towering Inferno (1974), The Cassandra Crossing (1977), and Capricorn One (1978). In 1979, he started his own film production company, Orenthal Productions, which dealt mostly in made-for-TV fare such as the family-oriented Goldie and the Boxer films with Melissa Michaelsen (1979 and 1981). Simpson said that he did not seriously consider an acting career until seeing Marvin and Burton, while filming The Klansman in California, ordering chili from Chasen's via a private jet. Simpson appeared in the audience of NBC's Saturday Night Live during its second season and hosted an episode during its third season. He was the second professional athlete to host the show.

1980s

In 1987, Simpson also made a cameo in the comedy Back to the Beach. He played Det. Nordberg in all three entries of The Naked Gun film trilogy (1988, 1991, 1994) alongside Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, and George Kennedy. Nordberg would get injured in a continuous series of gags.

According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Simpson was considered by director James Cameron to play the eponymous character in The Terminator (1984) when Schwarzenegger was cast as the character Kyle Reese, but Cameron ultimately cast Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, while Simpson had no involvement in the film. The film's producers felt Simpson was "too nice" to be seen as a killer like the Terminator.

1990s

Simpson starred in the un-televised two-hour-long film pilot for Frogmen, an A-Team-like adventure series that Warner Bros. Television completed in 1994, a few months before the two murders he was accused of. Simpson played the leader of a group of former United States Navy SEALs named John "Bullfrog" Burke who operated out of a surf shop in Malibu. NBC had not yet decided whether to order the series when Simpson's arrest canceled the project. NBC executive Preston Beckman collected each copy of Frogmen to ensure that no copy leaked to the media. While searching his home, the police obtained a videotaped copy of the pilot as well as the script and dailies. Although the prosecution investigated reports that Simpson received "a fair amount of" military training—including use of a knife—for Frogmen, and there is a scene in which he holds a knife to the throat of a woman, this material was not introduced as evidence during the trial.

NBC executive Warren Littlefield said in July 1994 that the network would probably never air the pilot if Simpson were convicted. Most pilots that are two hours long are aired as TV movies whether or not they are ordered as series. Because—as the Los Angeles Times later reported—"the appetite for all things O.J. appeared insatiable" during the trial, Warner Bros. and NBC estimated that a gigantic, Super Bowl–like television audience would have watched the Frogmen film. In 2000, co-star Evan Handler – who would later go on to portray "Dream Team" member Alan Dershowitz in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story – told the Los Angeles Times the studio's decision not to air it or release it on home video, and forego an estimated $14 million in profits, was "just about the only proof you have that there is some dignity in the advertising and television business."

2000s

In 2006, Simpson starred in his own improv-based hidden-camera prank TV show, Juiced. Typical of the genre, Simpson would play a prank on everyday people while secretly filming them. At the end of each prank, he would shout, "You've been Juiced!" Each episode opened with half-dressed models dancing around Simpson, who is dressed as a pimp and sings his own rap song. A bullet hole in the front of the SUV is circled with his autograph, and he pitches it to a prospective buyer by saying that if they "ever get into some trouble and have to get away, it has escapability."

Broadcasting career

Simpson worked as an NFL analyst on NBC from 1978 to 1982. He joined ABC's Monday Night Football crew in 1983, becoming the first black announcer on the network's No. 1 NFL broadcast team. For Super Bowl XIX during the 1984 season, ABC moved Simpson to its pregame show, replacing him in the broadcast booth with active player Joe Theismann, who had played in the previous two Super Bowls. Simpson continued his Monday Night Football announcing duties in 1985 before being dropped after the season. After he was accused of his ex-wife's murder, Simpson was replaced by Rashad in 1994.

Endorsements

Chuck Barnes helped Simpson form business relationships with Chevrolet and ABC early in his football career. By 1971, the magazine New York wrote that Simpson was already wealthy enough to "retire this week if [he] wanted to." Beginning in 1975, he appeared in advertisements with the Hertz rental car company. Commercials depicted Simpson running through airports (embodying speed), as others shouted to him the Hertz slogan "Go, O.J., Go!". He was the first Black man to be hired for a major corporate national advertising campaign, a unique decision for a conservative, dominant corporation to fend off its rival, No. 2 Avis. Besides helping his acting career, Simpson estimated that the very successful "superstar in rent-a-car" campaign raised the recognition rate among people he met from 30% to 90%. Hertz's annual profit increased by 50% to $42.2 million within the first year, brand awareness increased by more than 40%, and 97% of viewers understood that the commercials advertised Hertz, avoiding the common "vampire video" problem of viewers remembering an ad, but not which brand it promotes. Simpson was so important to the company that CEO Frank Olson personally negotiated his contract, and Hertz used him for an unusually long time for a celebrity endorser. Although Simpson appeared less often in Hertz commercials by the late 1980s, his relationship with the company continued; Simpson was to travel to Chicago to meet with Hertz executives and clients on the night of the Brown-Goldman murder.

Simpson used his amiable persona, good looks, and charisma in many endorsement deals. Advertising Age in 1977 named Simpson the magazine's Star Presenter of the Year; by 1984, consumer research found that he was the most popular athlete endorser. A 1990s MCI Communications commercial starring Eunice Simpson satirized her son's work. Other products Simpson endorsed included Pioneer Chicken, Honey Baked Ham, TreeSweet orange juice, Calistoga Water Company's line of Napa Naturals soft drinks, and Dingo cowboy boots. As president and CEO of O. J. Simpson Enterprises, he owned hotels and restaurants. When Simpson and Brown divorced in 1992, he had $10 million in assets and more than $1 million in annual income, including $550,000 from Hertz.

Marriages with Marguerite Whitley and Nicole Brown

On June 24, 1967, Simpson married Marguerite L. Whitley. Together, they had three children: Arnelle L. Simpson (b. 1968), Jason Lamar Simpson (b. 1970), and Aaren Lashone Simpson (1977–1979). In August 1979, Aaren drowned in the family's swimming pool.

Marguerite declined to testify at the trial on behalf of Simpson. According to LAPD Officer Terry Schauer and his partner Richard Deandra, when she and Simpson were married, they got a call from Marguerite, who alleged that Simpson was physically violent towards her. She refused to press charges against him. In an interview with Barbara Walters in 1995, Marguerite denied allegations that a police officer responded to a domestic violence call during her marriage to Simpson, telling Walters the alleged incident was not true and that she never made a police report. "Never—never did. I just found out about this, after 21 years." Marguerite addressed rumors that she was a battered woman during her marriage to Simpson, stating, "If he did, he would have got a frying pan upside his head. There was just no way that I would allow that to happen to me." In the interview, Marguerite also expressed her belief in Simpson's innocence and denied rumors that their son Jason helped commit the murders. "Oh God, it's not something O.J. would do. It's not—you know, it's just not something either one of them would do," she said.

Simpson met Nicole Brown in 1977 while she was working as a waitress at a Beverly Hills nightclub called The Daisy. Although still married to his first wife, Simpson began dating Brown. Simpson and Marguerite divorced in March 1979. During the 1984 Summer Olympics torch relay, Simpson carried the torch on Santa Monica's California Incline road, running behind Brown. Brown and Simpson were married on February 2, 1985, five years after his retirement from professional football. The couple had two children, Sydney Brooke Simpson (b. 1985) and Justin Ryan Simpson (b. 1988). The marriage lasted seven years.

According to Sheila Weller, "[Simpson and Brown] were a dramatic, fractious, mutually obsessed couple before they married, after they married, after they divorced in 1992, and after they reconciled." In the June 3, 2024 edition of People, Brown's sister Denise stated that Simpson was at times volatile to Brown early into their relationship, including on one occasion in 1977 where he "flipped out" and "had her upstairs in the bathroom crying. He said, 'You embarrassed me. after seeing Nicole kiss a mutual male friend on the cheek after she and her family went to upstate New York to attend a Buffalo Bills game which Simpson was playing in.

Brown claimed that by the end of 1989, police had visited her and Simpson's house eight times for domestic violence calls, and they did not help her in any of them. On December 31, she phoned the police, saying that she thought he was going to kill her. She was found by officers hiding in the bushes outside their home, "badly beaten and half-naked." Authorities said Simpson had "punched, slapped, and kicked" her. Simpson sped away from the officers in his car, but eventually he pleaded no contest to spousal abuse. Simpson was given two years' probation, 120 hours of community service, and he had to donate $500 to a battered women's shelter. Brown filed for divorce on February 25, 1992, citing irreconcilable differences. This was after finding out about an alleged year-long affair Simpson had had with model Tawny Kitaen.

Among the more caustic accounts, in American Tragedy: The Uncensored Story of the Simpson Defense, former maid Bethy Vaquerano alleged that Brown was racist and had been physically abusive towards Simpson. In her book I'm Not Dancing Anymore, Simpson's niece Terri Baker said Brown could be very insulting to people when she was angry and that she observed Brown insulting and slapping Simpson in the past. Reports suggest that in 1993, Brown and Simpson made an attempt at reconciliation. In October, Brown called the police to report Simpson being violent again after he allegedly found a photo of a man Brown had dated while they were broken up. Again, officers intervened. A family friend claimed that Simpson had told Brown's friends that if he ever "caught her with anyone, he would kill her." Brown's friend Kris Jenner claimed Brown at one point told her, "Things are really bad between O.J. and I, and he's going to kill me, and he's going to get away with it." The two broke up again, seemingly permanently, in May 1994. According to Brown's sister Tanya, on the night she was murdered, Nicole told their mother Juditha while dining out together at the Mezzaluna restaurant, that Simpson would always be her soulmate. In total, prosecutors for Simpson's murder trial found 62 incidents of abusive behavior by Simpson towards Brown. News reporting regarding these incidents led to California enforcing its 1986 laws protecting domestic violence victims more. Hertz continued to air its commercials with Simpson.

Legal history

Arrest for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman

Main article: Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman

Simpson, in agreement with his attorneys, was scheduled to turn himself in at approximately 11:00 a.m. to the Parker Center police headquarters on the morning of June 17. Simpson failed to turn himself in, and he later became the subject of a low-speed pursuit (on the 405 Freeway) by police while riding as a passenger in a white 1993 Ford Bronco SUV, a vehicle owned and being driven by his former teammate and longtime friend Al Cowlings. According to Cowlings, Simpson was armed in the back of the vehicle with a pistol, holding it to his head and threatening to shoot himself if he was not taken back to his Brentwood estate. This caused the responding California Highway Patrol officers to pursue with extreme caution. The police closed the nearby highways. At one point during the ride Simpson tried to call sportscaster Bob Costas, with whom he had worked before and had a good relationship, but was unable to reach him. As Cowlings rode, Simpson's lawyer Robert Kardashian publicly released a letter from him, saying: "Don't feel sorry for me ... I've had a great life, great friends. Please think of the real O.J. and not this lost person." The Bronco ride lasted more than 2 hours, until 8 pm, when Simpson and Cowlings arrived at Simpson's Brentwood home, and negotiations for surrender began. He was arrested shortly before 9 pm.

The chase was shown on "nearly every live television station." Stations interrupted coverage of the 1994 NBA Finals to broadcast the incident live. With an estimated audience of 95 million people, the event was described as "the most famous ride on American shores since Paul Revere's." Tens of thousands of people gathered on Los Angeles streets and highways to view the chase. The incident likely increased sales of the Ford Bronco by an additional 7,000 purchases in 1994 compared to 1993.

Many advocates for victims of domestic violence consider Brown's death as instrumental in Congress prioritizing the passage of the Violence Against Women Act. The act, passed in September 1994, created the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Criminal trial for murder

Main article: Murder trial of O. J. Simpson

Background

The pursuit, arrest, and trial of Simpson were among the most widely publicized events in American history. Simpson's integrated defense counsel team, named the "Dream Team", included Kardashian, Johnnie Cochran, Robert Shapiro, F. Lee Bailey, and Alan Dershowitz. The prosecution for the State of California was led by Marcia Clark and Christopher A. Darden. The judge was Lance Ito. The trial ran from January to October 1995, making it the longest trial in California history. The jury sequestered for 266 days, also the longest in California history. It ended up including 10 Black people in a 12-person jury.

The trial was often characterized as the "trial of the century" because of its international publicity, likened to that of Sacco and Vanzetti and the Lindbergh kidnapping. It was televised via a remote-control camera installed above the jury box, and it increased public interest in reality television and understanding of DNA evidence. It influenced the creation of the LAPD's DNA crime lab, and California added Section 1109 to the state's Evidence Code, "allowing uncharged conduct and other evidence of prior abuse to be shown to jurors in similar cases." Minor figures in the trial became celebrities, such as the resident of Simpson's guesthouse at the time of the murders, Kato Kaelin.

In 1995, while waiting to appear before a jury for his trial hearing, Simpson published the book I Want to Tell You: My Response to Your Letters, Your Messages, Your Questions, which was intended to be a "self-portrait of [his] mind at this critical time", and included letters he had received while incarcerated. It was produced with Lawrence Schiller.

Prosecution and defense cases

Before the trial began, it was discovered the police investigation had been flawed: "Photo evidence had been lost or mislabeled; DNA had been collected and stored improperly, raising a possibility that it was tainted."

Prosecutors provided DNA evidence, including both victims' blood being found in Simpson's car, Brown's blood being found on Simpson's socks, and hair and clothing fibers consistent with Simpson, Brown, and Goldman, as well as fibers from a 1993–94 Ford Bronco and Brown's dog, being found on a black leather glove recovered from Simpson's home. The other glove in the pair was found at Brown's condo. The defense claimed that the glove found at Brown's condo did not fit Simpson's hand. In response, prosecutors theorized that Simpson had not been taking anti-inflammatory medications for his arthritis, which would make his hand swell if he tried to put on the glove during the trial. Johnnie Cochran informed Judge Ito the next day that Shawn Chapman contacted the Los Angeles County Jail doctor, who confirmed Simpson was taking his arthritis medication every day, and that the jail's medical records verified this. Cochran claimed during the defense's closing argument, "If the glove don't fit, you must acquit." The phrase became famous in popular culture. Prosecutors also raised concerns that because the glove had been soaked in blood, and was repeatedly frozen and thawed before the trial, that it would have shrunk. Cochran denied this claim. When Simpson tried the glove on in court, he struggled to put it on. Nevertheless, Aris Isotoner Inc. vice president Richard Rubin would later testify that the gloves were of his company's rare Aris Light model and that a new pair of extra large gloves would fit Simpson. People magazine wrote that the moment was crucial to his eventual acquittal.

The trial came in the context of multiple incidents involving the Los Angeles criminal justice system in the previous years. In 1991, Latasha Harlins, a 15-year-old Black girl, was shot in the head by store owner Soon Ja Du, who accused her of stealing a bottle of orange juice. A jury convicted Du of involuntary manslaughter, but a judge only sentenced her to probation. Also in 1991, four police officers allegedly beat Rodney King, a Black man; in 1992, all of the officers were acquitted. These incidents led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

The defense alleged that the crime scene had been compromised, and presented audiotape recordings of Mark Fuhrman, an officer who was at the scene and collected evidence, repeatedly using the racial slur "nigger" in an interview with an aspiring screenwriter. Fuhrman was later charged with perjury for lying about not saying the slur, and pleaded no contest. This added to the popular perception that LAPD officers were racist, which worked against the police reforms being made by the city of Los Angeles since the beating of Rodney King.

The trial created a public discourse on race relations, motivated by Bailey and Cochran's cross-examination of Fuhrman over the tapes. It "divided the nation" along racial lines; white people were more likely to believe in Simpsons' guilt, while Black people were more likely to believe in his innocence. Many believed Simpson was being set up by the police, taking into consideration the LAPD's history of corruption, the acquittal of the officers who beat Rodney King, and that Fuhrman, who found the glove at Simpson's home, entered the home without a search warrant. The defense argued that Fuhrman had planted the glove. Charles F. Coleman Jr. wrote for MSNBC that "Black people didn't love O.J. Simpson, they hated the LAPD." Jim Newton wrote for the Los Angeles Times that "the effect [of the defense's focus on Fuhrman] on the jury was inescapable."

"On the evidence that they gave me to evaluate, it was crooked by the cops," juror David Aldana said in an interview. "The evidence given to me to look at, I could not convict. Did he do it? Maybe, maybe not." When asked if she believed Simpson was framed, Woods stated, "I don't know if he was necessarily framed. I think O.J. may know something about what happened, but I just don't think he did it. I think it was more than one person, just because of the way she was killed. I don't know how he could have just left that bloody scene — because it was bloody — and got back into his Bronco and not have it filled with blood. And then go back home and go in the front door, up the stairs to his bedroom ... That carpet was snow white in his house. He should have blood all over him or bruises because Ron Goldman was definitely fighting for his life. He had defensive cuts on his shoes and on his hands. O.J. only had that little cut on his finger. If Goldman was kicking to death, you would think that the killer would have gotten some bruises on his body. They showed us photos of O.J. with just his underwear just two days after, and he had no bruises or anything on his body."

Verdict and aftermath

The New York Times wrote that "in the end, it was the defense that had the overwhelming case, with many grounds for reasonable doubt, the standard for acquittal." The trial culminated after 11 months on October 3, 1995, when the jury rendered a verdict of "not guilty" for the two murders. Around 100 to 150 million people nationwide tuned in to watch or listen to the verdict announcement. The jury deliberation lasted three hours. By the end, the trial produced "126 witnesses, 1,105 items of evidence and 45,000 pages of transcripts." Simpson was released after 474 days in custody.

Immediate reaction to the verdict was known for its division along racial lines: a poll of Los Angeles County residents showed that most African Americans there felt justice had been served by the verdict, while the majority of whites and Latinos opined that it had not. NBC News wrote that "Black residents in parts of Los Angeles spilled out onto the street, cheering and passing celebratory drinks", and that similar scenes happened across the country. In 1994, 22% of Black respondents to a poll believed Simpson was guilty, as opposed to 63% of white people. A 2016 poll showed that 57% of Black Americans and 83% of white Americans believed Simpson was guilty. This change was partially caused by the verdict of Simpson's later civil trial.

At various points after the acquittal, the portion of a mural in Potrero Hill which featured Simpson in his 49ers uniform was vandalized by splashes of red paint and devil horns which were put on his head; he was eventually painted out of the mural.

Following Simpson's acquittal, no additional arrests or convictions related to the murders were made. He maintained his innocence in subsequent media interviews. In May 2008, Simpson's associate Mike Gilbert claimed that Simpson had admitted his role as the murderer, saying he used the knife that Brown was holding when she opened her condo's door for him that night, and that he had stopped taking his arthritis medicine so his hands would swell in court. During the trial, Johnnie Cochran informed Judge Ito that Shawn Chapman contacted the Los Angeles County Jail doctor, who confirmed Simpson was taking his arthritis medication every day, and that the jail's medical records verified this. In 1996 former LA County Deputy DA Vincent Bugliosi published Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O. J. Simpson Got Away with Murder in which he explained why he felt Simpson was guilty. In a 2025 Netflix Docuseries titled American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson, directed by Floyd Russ, an interview segment with O.J Simpson's former sports agent Mike Gilbert revealed that Gilbert worked up the nerve to ask Simpson what really happened with Nicole, and told his client that he had always suspected he was guilty. According to Gilbert, Simpson responded: "If Nicole wouldn't have opened the door with a knife, she would still be alive." (Gilbert also made this claim in his 2008 book, "How I Helped O.J. Get Away with Murder: The Shocking Inside Story of Violence, Loyalty, Regret, and Remorse.") Simpson's lawyer at the time Yale L. Galanter said none of Gilbert's claims were true and that Gilbert is "a delusional drug addict who needs money. He's fallen on very hard times. He is in trouble with the IRS." "I've talked to O.J. about it," said Galanter, who refused to allow Simpson to comment directly because of his robbery trial in Las Vegas. "This stuff not only didn't occur but it's not factually supported by the evidence."

Comparisons were made years later between the Trayvon Martin case and the O.J. Simpson case, and how race impacted both. During an interview with Piers Morgan, when asked if there was a similarity in the racial aspects of the cases, Ron Goldman's sister Kim said all of the evidence pointed towards guilt in Simpson's case, while she believed George Zimmerman's not guilty verdict was correct because it was a self defense case and that the killing of Trayvon Martin was not racially charged. Fred Goldman also denied racism played a factor in the killing of Trayvon or the outcome of the Simpson trial in an interview.

Wrongful death civil trial

| concur/dissent =

Following Simpson's acquittal of criminal charges, the families of Ron Goldman and of Nicole Brown Simpson filed a civil lawsuit against Simpson. Daniel Petrocelli represented plaintiff Fred Goldman (Ronald Goldman's father), while Robert Baker represented Simpson. Superior Court Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki presided, and he barred television and still cameras, radio equipment, and courtroom sketch artists from the courtroom. The trial excluded discussion of racial issues, which were considered "inflammatory and speculative." On October 23, 1996, opening statements were made, and on January 16, 1997, both sides rested their cases.

On February 5, 1997, a civil jury in Santa Monica, California, unanimously found Simpson liable for the wrongful death of and battery against Goldman, and battery against Brown. (The Brown family had not filed a wrongful death claim.) Simpson was ordered to pay $33,500,000 in damages: $8.5 million in compensatory damages to the Goldman family, and $12.5 million in punitive damages to each family. His net worth at the time was $11 million.

In 1997, Simpson defaulted on his mortgage at the home in which he had lived for 20 years, at 360 North Rockingham Avenue, and the lender foreclosed the property. In July 1998, the house was demolished by its next owner, Kenneth Abdalla, an investment banker and president of the Jerry's Famous Deli chain. In February 1999, an auction of Simpson's Heisman Trophy and other belongings netted almost $500,000, which went to the Goldman family. The Goldman family also tried to collect Simpson's NFL $28,000 yearly pension, but failed to collect any money.

In July 2017 after Simpson was granted parole, Ron Goldman's father Fred inquired about the real estate purchases made by Sydney and Justin Simpson, Brown's children with Simpson. David Cook, a lawyer for Fred Goldman, said he would seek bank records and depositions to follow the Simpson children's money trail and see if any of the homes were bought with their father's cash, which could make them eligible for a clawback. "The kids' loss is no greater than Fred's, but Fred's loss should be no greater than theirs," Cook said. In June 2022 Fred alleged in court papers (intended to keep the wrongful death and battery judgment viable) that Simpson owed $96 million due to significant interest generated on the initial order to pay damages.

On November 17, 2025, it was reported that the Simpson Estate agreed for pay nearly $58 million to Goldman's father to settle the civil claim, but it rejected the $117 million claim that was originally sought.

Other legal troubles

In the late 1990s, Simpson attempted to register "O. J. Simpson", "O. J.", and "The Juice" as trademarks for "a broad range of goods, including figurines, trading cards, sportswear, medallions, coins, and prepaid telephone cards." A "concerned citizen", William B. Ritchie, sued to oppose the granting of federal registration on the grounds that doing so would be immoral and scandalous.

In February 2001, Simpson was arrested in Miami-Dade County, for simple battery and burglary of an occupied conveyance, for pulling the glasses off another motorist during a traffic dispute three months earlier. If convicted, Simpson could have faced up to 16 years in prison, but he was tried and quickly acquitted of both charges in October.

On December 4, 2001, Simpson's Florida home was searched by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on suspicion of ecstasy possession and money laundering. The FBI had received a tip that Simpson was involved in a major drug trafficking ring after 10 other suspects were arrested in the case. Simpson's home was thoroughly searched for two hours, but no illegal drugs were discovered, and no arrest or formal charges were filed following the search. Investigators uncovered equipment capable of stealing satellite television programming, which was later evidence in a federal lawsuit.

In July 2002, Simpson was arrested in Miami-Dade County for water speeding through a manatee protection zone and failing to comply with proper boating regulations. The misdemeanor boating regulation charge was dropped, and Simpson was fined for the speeding infraction.

In March 2004, satellite television network DirecTV, Inc. accused Simpson in a Miami federal court of using illegal electronic devices to pirate its broadcast signals. The company later won a $25,000 judgment, and Simpson was ordered to pay an additional $33,678 in attorney's fees and costs.

In 2007, the state of California said that Simpson owed $1.44 million in back taxes. A tax lien was filed in his case in September 1999.

''If I Did It'' book

curled up in a fetal position at the base of the stairs, not moving. Goldman was only a few feet away, slumped against the bars of the fence. He wasn't moving either. Both he and Nicole were lying in giant pools of blood. I had never seen so much blood in my life. It didn't seem real, and none of it computed.

In Simpson's hypothetical scenario, he has an unwilling accomplice named "Charlie" who urges him to not engage with Nicole, whom Simpson plans to "scare the shit out of." Simpson ignores Charlie's advice and continues to Nicole's condo, where he finds and confronts Ron Goldman. According to the book, Nicole falls and hits her head on the concrete, and Goldman crouches in a karate pose. As the confrontation escalates, Simpson writes, "Then something went horribly wrong, and I know what happened, but I can't tell you how." He writes that he regained consciousness later with no memory of the actual act of murder.

Pablo Fenjves ghostwrote the book based on interviews with Simpson. The publishing deal allegedly started when ReganBooks employee Judith Regan received a phone call from Simpson's lawyers, who said he was ready to confess to the murders. Regan claimed the word "If" was put in the title so that Simpson would have plausible deniability when his children read the book, because "he couldn't tell them that he had done it." The book was scheduled for release in November 2006, but was cancelled beforehand due to public outcry. A scheduled TV interview with Fox was also cancelled.

In September 2006, Goldman's father took Simpson back to court to obtain control over Simpson's "right to publicity", for purposes of satisfying the judgment in the civil court case. He claimed that Simpson was advanced $1 million for the book deal and interview, and that they were made to "cheat the family" of the damages owed. In January 2007, a federal judge issued a restraining order prohibiting Simpson from spending any advance he may have received on the book deal and interview. The matter was dismissed before trial for lack of jurisdiction. A California state judge also issued an additional restraining order, ordering Simpson to restrict his spending to "ordinary and necessary living expenses." In March, a judge prevented Simpson from receiving any further compensation from the book deal and TV interview, ordering the bundled book rights to be auctioned. In August, a Florida bankruptcy court awarded the book rights to the Goldman family, to partially satisfy the unpaid civil judgment. The family published the first edition of the book later that year, and they renamed it to If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer. They also reduced the word "If" in size to such an extent that it appears within the large red "I" in the title, making the title appear to read I Did It: Confessions of the Killer. Additional material was added by the Goldmans, Fenjves, and investigative journalist Dominick Dunne.

Las Vegas robbery

Main article: O. J. Simpson robbery case

On the night of September 13, 2007, a group of men led by Simpson entered a room at the Palace Station hotel-casino and took sports memorabilia at gunpoint, which resulted in Simpson being questioned by police. Simpson admitted to taking the items, which he said had been stolen from him, but denied breaking into the hotel room; he also denied that he or anyone else carried a gun. He was initially released after questioning.

Two days later, Simpson was arrested, and he was initially held without bail. Along with three other men, Simpson was charged with multiple felony counts, including criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, assault, robbery, and aggravated assault. Bail was set at $125,000, with stipulations that Simpson have no contact with the co-defendants and that he surrender his passport. Simpson did not enter a plea. By the end of October 2007, all three of Simpson's co-defendants had plea-bargained with the prosecution in the Clark County, Nevada, court case. Walter Alexander and Charles H. Cashmore accepted plea agreements in exchange for reduced charges and their testimony against Simpson and three other co-defendants, including testimony that guns were used in the robbery. Co-defendant Michael McClinton told a Las Vegas judge that he too would plead guilty to reduced charges and testify against Simpson that guns were used in the robbery. After the hearings, the judge ordered that Simpson be tried for the robbery.

On November 8, 2007, Simpson had a preliminary hearing to decide whether he would be tried for the charges. He was held over for trial on all 12 counts. Simpson pleaded not guilty on November 29, with an initial setting for trial in April 2008, although it was soon set for September to give the defense more time for their case. In January 2008, Simpson was taken into custody in Florida and was extradited to Las Vegas, where he was incarcerated at the Clark County jail for violating the terms of his bail by attempting to contact co-defendant Clarence "C. J." Stewart. District Attorney David Roger of Clark County provided District Court Judge Jackie Glass with evidence that Simpson had violated his bail terms. A hearing took place on January 16. Glass raised Simpson's bail to US$250,000 and ordered that he remain in county jail until 15 percent was paid in cash. Simpson posted bond that evening and returned to Miami the next day.

The trial began on September 8, 2008, in the court of Nevada District Court Judge Jackie Glass, before an all-white jury, in stark contrast to Simpson's earlier murder trial. Simpson and his co-defendant were found guilty of all charges on October 3. On October 10, Simpson's counsel moved for a new trial (trial de novo) on grounds of judicial errors and insufficient evidence. Simpson's attorney announced he would appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court if Judge Glass denied the motion. The attorney for Simpson's co-defendant, C. J. Stewart, petitioned for a new trial, alleging Stewart should have been tried separately and cited possible misconduct by the jury foreman.

Simpson faced a possible life sentence with parole on the kidnapping charge, and mandatory prison time for armed robbery. On December 5, 2008, Simpson was sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after nine years, in 2017. In September 2009, the Nevada Supreme Court denied a request for bail during Simpson's appeal. In October 2010, the Nevada Supreme Court affirmed his convictions. He served his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center as inmate 1027820. He worked as a gym janitor there.

A Nevada judge agreed in October 2012, to "reopen the armed robbery and kidnapping case against O. J. Simpson to determine if the former football star was so badly represented by his lawyers that he should be freed from prison and get another trial." A hearing was held beginning May 2013, to determine if Simpson was entitled to a new trial. In November, Judge Linda Bell denied Simpson's bid for a new trial on the robbery conviction. In her ruling, Bell wrote that all Simpson's contentions lacked merit.

Release from prison

On July 31, 2013, the Nevada Parole Board granted Simpson parole on some convictions, but his imprisonment continued based on the weapons and assault convictions. The board considered Simpson's prior record of criminal convictions and good behavior in prison in coming to the decision. At his parole hearing on July 20, 2017, the board decided to grant Simpson parole, with certain parole conditions such as travel restrictions, non-contact with co-defendants from the robbery, and not drinking excessively. He was released on October 1, having served almost nine years. In December 2021, Simpson was granted an early discharge from parole by the Nevada Division of Parole and Probation, for good behavior.

Personal life

In 1995, after his acquittal for murder, Simpson began a relationship with Christie Prody which lasted for 13 years. At the time their relationship started, Prody was 19 years old and working as a cocktail waitress. After their relationship ended, Prody stated that she often feared for her life during the relationship.

Simpson sought refuge in Florida to avoid paying the judgement he received in his 1997 civil trial; Florida is one of few states where pensions and residences cannot generally be seized to collect debts. In 2000, he purchased a home in Miami-Dade County, 20 mi south of Miami. He "struggled to remake his life, raise his children, and stay out of trouble", and lived off pensions from the NFL, Screen Actors Guild, and other sources. He sent two of his children to prep school and college. After his release from prison in 2017, Simpson joined Twitter, and gained a following of 800,000 followers by the time of his death.

After Simpson retired from football, he began playing golf, which was a "constant" in his life before and after the acquittal. He often played in both the Los Angeles area and (after he moved to Florida) the Miami area. He played with professional golfers like Arnold Palmer, until they stopped associating with him around the time of his murder trial. Afterwards, however, he still played with notable people like Michael Jordan. Simpson's membership at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles was suspended, so he started playing at Rancho Park when in that city. Sports Illustrated reported in 1997 that other golfers did not want him in their presence.

In 2016, Dr. Bennett Omalu, who discovered the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephelopathy (CTE), said he would "bet [his] medical license" that Simpson had the disease. CTE is common in football players, and Omalu said Simpson had suffered thousands of cases of blunt force trauma in his brain during his career, which would have caused it. Simpson's lawyer, as a part of a legal strategy following Simpson's convictions for robbery in 2008, claimed that he had suffered concussions. This was a part of the lawyer's attempt to prove that Simpson's convictions were unjust, saying that brain damage was responsible for Simpson's actions. In 2018, Simpson said he suspected he had CTE, claiming he often had trouble speaking and remembering names.

Illness and death

In May 2023, Simpson reported that he had been diagnosed with cancer and expressed confidence that he would beat it. He also said he started chemotherapy. In February 2024, it was reported that Simpson was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. A week and a half before his death, Simpson cancelled a scheduled memorabilia signing because he was not feeling well. In his last Twitter video on February 11, he said that while he was "dealing with some issues", he was in good health. In the final days before his death, all of Simpson's children visited him. He died of the disease on April 10, 2024, at the age of 76. At the time, Simpson had been living in Las Vegas, next to the Rhodes Ranch Golf Club. Simpson shared a home with his oldest daughter Arnelle while his youngest son Justin lived up the street from him.

Simpson's death was met with mixed reactions, with his legal history overshadowing his sporting achievements. The Bills, 49ers, and USC did not publish any condolences or tributes following his death. The NFL did not release a statement, but a video that announced Simpson's death and featured highlights from his professional football career was uploaded on the NFL's website and YouTube channel. The Pro Football Hall of Fame published a news release and lowered its flag to half-staff. The Heisman Trophy published a tribute to Simpson on Twitter and offered condolences to his family.

Booker Edgerson, Simpson's teammate from the Buffalo Bills, said he was planning to visit Simpson in Las Vegas in three weeks when he got the news Simpson died. "We really didn't get along in the beginning. But eventually we became roommates and everything. So we had an outstanding relationship. We did a lot of things together. We went through a lot when he had his good years in Buffalo," Edgerson said of his friendship with Simpson. "We had good times together, and we understood each other. That's my memories." Joe DeLamielleure, Simpson's teammate from the Buffalo Bills, reflected on his death, "I'm sad because, when people die you go 'Oh, God, that's terrible.' But what happened to him, and maybe he brought it upon himself, but he was an icon in the nation. And he meant a lot (to) people doing those commercials. He did a lot for the Black race even though he didn't know it. He wasn't Muhammad Ali or anything, but he was doing things for athletes and not just Black athletes, but he kicked us into a really big thing. That's what I think of him. He was a groundbreaker." DeLamielleure said he spoke with Simpson on the phone a month before his death, and that he last saw Simpson five years ago at an autograph session near Buffalo. "It was nice to see him. And as for O.J. and what he did or didn't do, it's not my place to judge anybody. But I really liked him as a teammate."

The Goldman family issued a statement that read, "The news of Ron's killer passing away is a mixed bag of complicated emotions and reminds us that the journey through grief is not linear. For three decades we tirelessly pursued justice for Ron and Nicole, and despite a civil judgment and his confession in If I Did It, the hope for true accountability has ended. We will continue to advocate for the rights of all victims and survivors, ensuring our voices are heard both within and beyond the courtroom. And despite his death, the mission continues; there's always more to be done. Thank you for keeping our family, and most importantly Ron, in your hearts for the last 30 years." The Brown sisters later issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that read, "What happened to our sister Nicole should never have happened to her or to any other woman. Her life was stolen from her and while her abuser is finally gone, it doesn’t take away the anguish we feel or the pain of her children who lost their mother. We hope that by sharing Nicole’s story, it will help others recognize the signs and get the help they need and her legacy will continue to live on."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a short statement, "Our thoughts are with his families during this difficult time... I know that they have asked for some privacy and so we're going to respect that." Magic Johnson tweeted that he and his wife Cookie were praying for Simpson's children and grandchildren during his difficult passing. Caitlyn Jenner posted "Good Riddance" on Twitter after news broke of Simpson's death. Rappers Cam'ron and Mase paid tribute to Simpson on the independently produced sports' news talk show It is What It is, where Simpson joined as a football analyst in the last months of his life, and also criticized Caitlyn Jenner for her tweet about Simpson's death. Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith mentioned, "One of the greatest athletes we have ever seen... But it all pales in comparison to him being perceived as a double murderer." Singer Stephanie Mills posted tributes to Simpson on her social media accounts remembering him for his NFL career and Hertz commercials. David Zucker, director of The Naked Gun movies, posted a picture of Simpson on his Instagram, with the caption, "His acting was a lot like his murdering: He got away with it, but no one believed him."

Former professional football player Todd Gurley paid tribute to Simpson on Twitter by listing his on-field accomplishments and praised Simpson for being like family to him. Former professional football player Torrey Smith wrote on Twitter that while he's "not a big OJ guy," he feels "the amount [of] journalists/media companies that are using OJ's court pictures to announce his death is disgusting! Regardless of what you may think about him he was innocent in court and has kids out here. Y'all have no respect." Sportscaster Bob Costas who worked with Simpson for several years at NBC Sports, reflected on Simpson's complicated legacy, "I can't think of anyone historical or someone that we may have known where the first chapter and the second chapter of their lives are such a stark contrast," he said noting that Simpson went from a "revered" figure to a "reviled" one.

Courtney B. Vance, who portrayed Johnnie Cochran in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, later said of Simpson's passing and the conversations it sparked:

Simpson was cremated at the Palm Mortuary in Downtown Las Vegas on April 17, 2024. The executor of Simpson's estate announced plans to fight the estate's money going to the Brown and Goldman families, but reversed course soon after. No plans were made for a public memorial, while there were tentative discussions of a celebration of life ceremony for the family. Malcolm LeVergne, the attorney handling Simpson's estate, stated that his cremains will be given to his children.

Simpson was featured in the "In Memoriam" segment at the 24th BET Awards, surprising people in attendance. Simpson was left out of the "In Memoriam" segment at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, but was included in the full list of the names featured on the Television Academy's website. Simpson was also featured in the "In Memoriam" segment at the 56th NAACP Image Awards.

Money owed

Simpson's longtime Las Vegas attorney Malcolm LaVergne was named as Simpson's "personal representative" and executor of the will and testament, according to court records. Justin Simpson, Simpson's son, was named as "successor personal representative." In August 2024, LaVergne revealed that Simpson owed him $269,000 at the time of his death and that he was seeking to claim possession of Simpson's "forever home" in Las Vegas from Simpson's son Justin as part of a way to pay off the debt. Speaking to TMZ, LaVergne confirmed that due to Simpson's outstanding debts, such as those related in the 1997 civil ruling, the expensive funeral and $500,000 Simpson owed to the state of California, he was making an effort to liquidate Simpson's assets, and that Simpson's family was putting up resistance to his efforts. Simpson's creditors include not just the Goldman family, but also the IRS and the California Tax Board. Simpson's decision to change his primary residence from Florida to Nevada also made him more vulnerable to the Goldman family being able to collect money from what he earned through his NFL pension, with Ron Goldman's father Fred seeking $117 million as of July 2024. Simpson's ashes would be made into jewelry (memorial diamonds), with only his four children taking possession. LaVergne confirmed that he did not take possession of any of the cremation jewelry, telling TMZ that he had no interest in possessing Simpson's ashes. According to Lavergne, $4,243.06 was spent to go through with Simpson's cremation, create the jewelry, and draw up the death certificates.

In popular culture

Overview

The New York Times wrote that Simpson "generated a tide of tell-all books, movies, studies and debate over questions of justice, race relations and celebrity in a nation that adores its heroes." More than 30 books were written on Simpson by the time of his death.

Film and television

During and after the murder trial, Simpson was the frequent subject of mocking jokes by Norm Macdonald on Saturday Night Live. These jokes, which became famous, are widely believed to have caused Macdonald to be fired by NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer, who was friends with Simpson. Television host Conan O'Brien remembered Macdonald's comedy as the most notable commentary about Simpson's trials. In the wake of Simpson's death, Macdonald's jokes about him went viral. Prior to Macdonald's death, he jokingly claimed to have changed his mind about Simpson's guilt. According to Macdonald's friend Lori Jo Hoekstra, however, that new commentary was enough for Simpson to reach out to Macdonald and offer to play golf.

In Fox Network's TV movie, The O. J. Simpson Story (1995), Simpson is portrayed as a youth by Bumper Robinson and as an adult by Bobby Hosea; his close friend Al Cowlings is portrayed as a youth by Terrence Howard and as an adult by David Roberson. In CBS's TV movie American Tragedy (2000), Simpson is played by Raymond Forchion.

BBC TV's documentary, O.J. Simpson: The Untold Story (2000), produced by Malcolm Brinkworth, "reveals that clues that some believe pointed away from Simpson as the killer were dismissed or ignored and highlights two other leads which could shed new light on the case." The Investigation Discovery TV movie documentary, OJ: Trial of the Century (2014), begins on the day of the murders, ends on the reading of the verdict, and comprises actual media footage of events and reactions, as they unfolded. Also an Investigation Discovery TV documentary is O.J. Simpson Trial: The Real Story (2016), which entirely comprises archival news footage of the murder case, the Bronco chase, the trial, the verdict, and reactions.

The documentary miniseries, O.J.: Made in America (2016), directed by Ezra Edelman and produced by Laylow Films, is an American five-part, -hour film that previewed at the Tribeca and Sundance Film Festivals, and aired as part of the 30 for 30 series airing on the ABC and ESPN sister networks. This film adds "rich contextual layers to the case, including a dive into the history of Los Angeles race relations that played such a central role in his acquittal." Mary McNamara wrote she was impressed the film had "that ability to show all sides of this history, to balance opposing forces and push them forward." James Poniewozik observed in his New York Times review that "the director Ezra Edelman pulls back, way back, like a news chopper over a freeway chase. Before you hear about the trial, the documentary says, you need to hear all the stories – the stories of race, celebrity, sports, America – that it's a part of." The film won the 2017 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

In FX's cable TV miniseries The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016), based on Jeffrey Toobin's book The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson (1997), Simpson is portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr. It focuses on the events of the trial, and specifically Simpson's associates during it.

Fox's TV special O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession? (2018) features an interview Simpson gave in 2006 with publisher Judith Regan, where he gave "hypothetical" details about his role in the murders. Though Simpson stated that the details he described were hypothetical, the interview was considered to be an implied confession to the murders. In 2018, it was announced Boris Kodjoe would portray Simpson in a film titled Nicole & O.J. The movie, whose title has been changed to The Juice, is scheduled for release in 2025. In 2020, Court TV premiered OJ25, a 25-part series documenting each week of the trial and hosted by former Los Angeles prosecutor and legal analyst Roger Cossack.

Exhibits

The Bronco from Simpson's police chase is on display in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee's Alcatraz East Crime Museum.

In 2017, Adam Papagan curated a pop-up museum featuring artifacts and ephemera from the trial at Coagula Curatorial gallery in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Notes

References

References

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74. (June 7, 2023). "Arnold Schwarzenegger says O.J. Simpson was nearly cast in 'The Terminator' but producers didn't think he could 'be sold as a killing machine'".
75. Schneider, Michael. (2024-04-12). "How O.J. Simpson, a Busted Pilot and His Huge Network Supporter Loomed Over NBC Just as It Found 'Must-See TV' Success".
76. Lowry, Brian. (May 8, 2000). "The Saga of O.J.'s Last, Lost Pilot". Los Angeles Times.
77. Jicha, Tom. (July 27, 1994). "NBC May Bury Simpson TV Movie At Sea". Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.
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83. Brulia, Tim. "A CHRONOLOGY OF PRO FOOTBALL ON TELEVISION: Part 3". The Coffin Corner.
84. Horovitz, Bruce. (June 15, 1994). "Simpson Ads Opened Door to Endorsements by Athletes". Los Angeles Times.
85. Fernandez, Bernard. (September 2, 1994). "A host of changes". Philadelphia Daily News.
86. Brulia, Tim. "A CHRONOLOGY OF PRO FOOTBALL ON TELEVISION: Part 4". The Coffin Corner.
87. Axthelm, Pete. (July 19, 1971). "The Third Annual Permanent Retirement of Joe Namath". [[New York (magazine).
88. Swisher, Kara. (July 10, 1994). "O.J. and Hertz: The rise and fall of a rent-a-star". [[The Washington Post]].
89. O'Donnell, Jim. (April 14, 2024). "O.J. should have sat out the final two quarters of his shattered, battering life". Daily Herald.
90. Crupi, Anthony. (June 14, 2016). "The Run of His Life: How Hertz and O.J. Simpson Changed Advertising".
91. Knight, Molly. (June 17, 2019). "Remembering O.J. Simpson's Bronco chase and the call that...".
92. "Florida voters, SIMPSON, JASON ELLIS thru Simpson, Jenna Renee". Tom Alciere.
93. (August 28, 1979). "Simpson's youngest daughter dies after 8 days in coma". [[St. Petersburg Times]].
94. Schwartz, Larry. "L.A. story". [[ESPN]].
95. "O.J. Simpson 'Struck' Ex-Wife Marguerite, 'Pulled Out Some of Her Hair,' Cop Says in Nicole Brown Simpson Doc". People.
96. (January 18, 1995). "Documents Released by Court Give Account of Simpson Violence Against First Wife". The New York Times.
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100. (July 6, 1994). "Cici Shahian {{pipe}} Nicole Simpson was dominated by her husband since she was a teen-ager". The Baltimore Sun.
101. Richardson, Lynda. (June 29, 1994). "No Reports of Violence By Simpson's First Wife". [[The New York Times]].
102. Gibbs, Jewelle Taylor. (September 4, 1996). "Race and justice: Rodney King and O.J. Simpson in a house divided". Jossey-Bass.
103. Higgins, Bill. (2016-08-11). "Olympics Flashback: When O.J. Simpson Carried the Torch in L.A.".
104. (1997). "Evidence Dismissed: The Inside Story of the Police Investigation of O. J. Simpson". Pocket Books.
105. "Child custody decision". courttv.com.
106. (February 6, 1995). "Judge Allow Evidence of Domestic Violence In O.J. Simpson Murder Case". Jet.
107. Weller, Sheila. (June 12, 2014). "How O.J. and Nicole Brown's Friends Coped with Murder in Their Midst".
108. (May 22, 2024). "Nicole Brown Simpson's Sisters Break Their Silence Over O.J.'s Death: 'It's Very Complicated' (Exclusive)". [[People (magazine).
109. "Revisiting the O.J. Simpson Trial: A Look Back at the Infamous Case, Key Players and Verdict".
110. (April 11, 2024). "OJ Simpson's slow-speed chase on June 17, 1994".
111. (2024-04-14). "Opinion : Never forget — Nicole Brown Simpson's murder redefined our understanding of domestic violence".
112. Schiller, Lawrence. (October 16, 1996). "American Tragedy: The Uncensored Story of the Simpson Defense". Random House.
113. {{harvnb. Schiller. 1996
114. Baker, Terri. (1997). "I'm Not Dancing Anymore". Kensington Publishing Corporation.
115. "BOOKS -- Even Simpson's Niece Tells Story / Terri Baker recalls violence at O.J.'s". SFGate.
116. (February 10, 2016). "This is the Nicole Brown Simpson You Won't See On FX's New Drama".
117. (2024-04-13). "'I'm gonna O.J. you': How the Simpson case changed perceptions — and the law — on domestic violence".
118. "10 Classic Images That Explain the O.J. Simpson Trial".
119. (2024-04-11). "How the O.J. Simpson murder case changed trials forever".
120. Rovell, Darren. (June 13, 2016). "The tale of the notorious white Bronco". ESPN.
121. (February 23, 2022). "O.J. Simpson to Bob Costas during prison visit: You did it!". grahambensinger.com.
122. (April 11, 2024). "O.J. Simpson, the white Bronco and a freeway chase that changed L.A. forever".
123. (1988). "Crimes of the century: from Leopold and Loeb to O.J. Simpson". Northeastern University Press.
124. (April 11, 2024). "What O.J. Simpson meant to Black America". The Washington Post.
125. Grisham, Lori. "For Ford's Bronco, O.J. Simpson chase may have helped sales".
126. Snyder, Rachel Louise. (2024-04-12). "Opinion {{!}} What the O.J. Trial Taught America About Domestic Violence". The New York Times.
127. (April 12, 2024). "In Los Angeles, the O.J. Simpson Case Defined a Turbulent Era". The New York Times.
128. (January 9, 2016). "True Grit".
129. (March 18, 2016). "O.J.Simpson prosecutor: 'His murder trial ruined my life—but 20 years on I'm back'". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
130. Dershowitz, Alan M.. (May 2004). "America on trial: inside the legal battles that transformed our nation". [[Warner Books]].
131. Nicoll, Ruaridh. (2024-04-13). "The day they set OJ Simpson free – and left America in turmoil". The Observer.
132. (April 15, 2024). "After O.J. Simpson's trial, an insatiable appetite for reality TV". The Washington Post.
133. "The Story of O.J. Simpson's Controversial Book, If I Did It, And Why It Was Canceled And Later Released".
134. "'If It Doesn't Fit, You Must Acquit': Everything About the Infamous Piece of Evidence in O.J. Simpson's Trial".
135. "Los Angeles California; Friday, June 23, 1995 9:00 am".
136. (2016). "O.J. and the Gloves : The Truth About What Really Happened".
137. (2024-04-11). "From football hero to murder suspect: An O.J. Simpson photo timeline". NBC News.
138. McDermott, Anne. (September 12, 1995). "Expert: Simpson's gloves match evidence". CNN.
139. Clayborne, William. (September 12, 1995). "Expert Says Photos Match Trial Gloves". The Washington Post.
140. (2024-04-14). "Opinion {{!}} The irony of O.J. Simpson being a wedge between Black and white Americans". MSNBC.
141. Newton, Jim. (2024-04-11). "Opinion: How Rodney King helped O.J. Simpson win a not-guilty verdict".
142. (2024-04-12). "In death, 3 decades after his trial verdict, O.J. Simpson still reflects America's racial divides".
143. (April 11, 2024). "O.J. Simpson's trial divided the nation. What legacy does he leave behind?". NPR.
144. (June 12, 2014). ""Did He Do It? Maybe, Maybe Not": Simpson Juror Speaks Out".
145. (April 6, 2016). "An O.J. Juror on What The People v. O.J. Simpson Got Right and Wrong".
146. (April 12, 2024). "Juror from OJ murder trial: I've always been comfortable with my decision".
147. (October 8, 1995). "THE TIMES POLL: Most in County Disagree With Simpson Verdicts". [[Los Angeles Times]].
148. (2024-04-12). "To many Black Americans, the O.J. Simpson verdict was bigger than O.J. Simpson". NBC News.
149. Ross, Janell. (March 4, 2016). "Two decades later, black and white Americans finally agree on O.J. Simpson's guilt". The Washington Post.
150. (April 11, 2024). "O.J. Simpson, football legend acquitted of notorious killings, dies at 76". NPR.
151. (11 May 2008). "Former Simpson friend claims O.J. admitted to killing his wife".
152. "Los Angeles California; Friday, June 23, 1995 9:00 am".
153. Holt, Patricia. (June 26, 1996). "Bugliosi Tells Why O. J. Verdict Left Him in 'Outrage'". San Francisco Chronicle.
154. Jensen, Erin. "New O.J. Simpson docuseries explores evidence never seen in the 'trial of the century'".
155. (2013). "Kim Goldman defends George Zimmerman's acquittal for killing Trayvon Martin, denies he was racist".
156. (2013). "Fred Goldman: Zimmerman trial very disturbing".
157. (September 16, 1996). "The O.J. Simpson Civil Case". CNN.
158. (August 23, 1996). "Judge bars cameras in courtroom for Simpson civil trial". CNN.
159. (June 11, 2014). "Timeline: OJ Simpson Murder, Civil Trials". NBC Southern California.
160. (February 5, 1997). "Civil Jury Finds Simpson Liable in Pair of Killings". The New York Times.
161. Simon, Stephanie. (February 11, 1997). "Simpson Verdict: $25 Million : Punitive Damages Bring Total to $33.5 Million". Los Angeles Times.
162. Tribune News Services. (July 30, 1998). "New Owner Demolishes O.J. Simpson Mansion". The Chicago Tribune.
163. (April 22, 1999). "O.J.'S Heisman Sold".
164. (September 18, 2007). "No easy answers". CNN.
165. (September 30, 1997). "Judge Rules Simpson's Mother Can Keep Piano".
166. (31 July 2017). "O.J. Simpson's Kids Raise Eyebrows With Real Estate Ventures".
167. (June 26, 2022). "O.J. Simpson currently owes Ron Goldman's estate $96 million".
168. White, Ed. "OJ Simpson estate accepts $58M claim from Goldmans but payment would be a fraction".
169. ''Ritchie v. Simpson'', 170 F.3D 1092 (C.A.F.C., 1999)
170. (October 10, 2001). "O.J. Simpson Back in Court in Florida". Los Angeles Times.
171. Wilson, Catherine. (October 25, 2001). "Jury clears O.J. Simpson of road-rage charges". The Independent.
172. (April 11, 2024). "OJ Simpson, who died at 76, had series of legal run-ins during time in South Florida".
173. (December 4, 2001). "O.J. Simpson's Home Searched By FBI". CBS News.
174. (September 26, 2002). "O.j. Fights Boating Citation". Orlando Sentinel.
175. (November 7, 2002). "O.J. Simpson Arrest Warrant Withdrawn". Los Angeles Times.
176. (July 26, 2005). "O.J. Simpson loses DirecTV piracy case: Ordered to pay $25,000 for using illegal devices to get satellite TV signals". NBC News.
177. (October 17, 2007). "O.J. Simpson among those on California tax shame list". Reuters.
178. (October 19, 2007). "O.J. Simpson Makes California Tax Delinquent List". WebCPA.
179. "ABC News Exclusive: 'If I Did It': O.J's Daughter's Idea". ABC News.
180. Truth_Merciless. "OJ Simpson – If I Did It".
181. Linder, Douglas O.. (April 11, 2024). "Famous Trials: "IF I Did It": The Quasi-Confession of O. J. Simpson". UMKC School of Law.
182. Spavlik, Janet. (May 1, 2008). "The Corner Office: He Did It". Book Business.
183. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070305235730/http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/02/08/simpson.lawsuit.ap/index.html "O.J. Simpson ordered to stop spending"]. CNN. May 3, 2007.
184. Steve Gorman. (March 27, 2007). "O.J. Simpson book rights to be auctioned in April". [[Reuters]].
185. The Goldman Family. (2007). "If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer". Beaufort Books.
186. (September 16, 2007). "Las Vegas P.D. summary and excerpts of 9/14/07 interview with Simpson". FindLaw.
187. (September 16, 2007). "Las Vegas P.D. summary and excerpts of 9/15/07 interview with Alexander". FindLaw.
188. (September 14, 2007). "Police: Simpson cooperating in armed robbery probe". CNN.
189. (September 14, 2007). "O.J. Simpson a Suspect in Casino 'Armed Robbery'". Fox News.
190. (July 14, 2017). "O.J. Simpson accomplices reveal how 2007 Vegas hotel room meeting escalated into botched robbery". ABC News.
191. (September 16, 2007). "O.J. Simpson's Arrest Report: State of Nevada v. Orenthal James Simpson, et al.".
192. Nakashima, Ryan. (September 17, 2007). "Apparent tape released of O.J. in Vegas". USA Today.
193. (September 18, 2007). "State of Nevada v. O.J. Simpson, et al.". FindLaw.
194. (September 17, 2007). "OJ Simpson faces break-in charges". BBC News.
195. (September 19, 2007). "Judge sets $125K bail for O.J. Simpson". ABC News.
196. (September 19, 2007). "Simpson's Bail Set at $125,000".
197. (October 15, 2007). "Three plead guilty". CNN.
198. (November 13, 2007). "O.J.'s Former Co-Defendants Set To Testify – CBS News". CBS News.
199. (November 14, 2007). "Judge orders Simpson to stand trial". CNN.
200. (November 28, 2007). "O.J. Simpson pleads not guilty to 12 felony charges". [[CNN]].
201. (March 7, 2008). "O.J. Simpson trial delayed to September".
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203. (January 17, 2008). "Day After Judge's Scolding, O.J. Flies Home". [[KPIX-TV]].
204. [http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/all-white-jury-seated-oj-simpson-las-vegas-trial-article-1.325129 All-white jury seated in OJ Simpson's Las Vegas trial] {{Webarchive. link. (April 18, 2023 – ''[[NY Daily News]]'', September 11, 2008)
205. (March 9, 2008). "O. J. Simpson's trial postponed until September". Reuters.
206. (October 3, 2008). "Simpson guilty of robbery, kidnap charges". [[NBC News]].
207. link. (July 1, 2017. ''The New York Times''. October 11, 2008.)
208. [http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/10/simpson.newtrial/ "O.J. Simpson's lawyers request another trial"] {{Webarchive. link. (October 14, 2008. CNN. October 10, 2008.)
209. Ritter, Ken. [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iUNgbOr-2bnpFUX0MiII6je2CkRAD93NV7580 "OJ Simpson seeks new robbery trial in Las Vegas"]. Associated Press. October 10, 2008. {{webarchive. link. (October 15, 2008)
210. link. (May 19, 2011 Associated Press. January 11, 2008.)
211. (2008-12-05). "O.J. Simpson sentenced to long prison term". NBC News.
212. Friess, Steve. (December 5, 2008). "Simpson Sentenced to at Least 9 Years in Prison". The New York Times.
213. Martinez, Michael. (October 22, 2010). "O.J. Simpson loses appeal in Las Vegas armed robbery trial". CNN.
214. [http://167.154.2.76/inmatesearch/form.php Offender detail: O. J. Simpson] {{Webarchive. link. (June 19, 2016. [[Nevada Department of Corrections]]. Retrieved April 28, 2016. (enter inmate ID 1027820 to find details))
215. (October 19, 2012). "Judge decides to reopen case against OJ Simpson". USA Today.
216. (May 10, 2013). "OJ To Get Vegas Court Hearing On Bid For New Trial". [[NPR]].
217. (November 27, 2013). "O. J. Simpson denied new trial: why such appeals almost never work". The Christian Science Monitor.
218. (July 31, 2013). "O.J. Simpson wins parole—but not freedom". USA Today.
219. Peter, Josh (July 18, 2017). [https://apnews.com/cd367bba76c64894b7f8d535a5ceef02/The-Latest:-Parole-board-set-to-decide-OJ-Simpson's-fate "The Latest: OJ Simpson granted parole in Nevada robbery"] {{Webarchive. link. (April 15, 2021. [[Associated Press]].)
220. (July 20, 2017). "OJ Simpson granted parole after serving nine years of armed robbery sentence". The Guardian.
221. (December 14, 2021). "O.J. Simpson granted early discharge from parole in Nevada".
222. (September 15, 2009). "O.J. Simpson's Ex-Girlfriend Christine Prody Said She Feared for Her Life". [[ABC News (United States).
223. (September 20, 2007). "The Woman Behind O.J. Simpson Sticks With Him". [[ABC News (United States).
224. (March 4, 1997). "LEGAL SWAMP MAKES FLORIDA A PERFECT HOME FOR O.J.". Chicago Tribune.
225. Bamberger, Michael. (April 11, 2024). "O.J. Simpson's golf obsession a curious footnote in complicated life".
226. (April 11, 2024). "O.J. Simpson lived in Miami. See photos of him around town, on golf course, in court".
227. "'Concussion' Doctor: 'I Would Bet My Medical License' O.J. Simpson Has Degenerative Brain Disease CTE".
228. (May 11, 2013). "Munson: Simpson's new-trial gambit". ESPN.
229. Ross, Martha. (2024-04-17). "O.J. Simpson feared he had CTE but his family has said a 'hard no' to brain study".
230. Shapiro, Emily. (April 11, 2024). "O.J. Simpson dies at age 76 after battle with cancer, family says". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham.
231. Florio, Mike. (February 11, 2024). "Report: O.J. Simpson undergoes treatment for prostate cancer".
232. (April 13, 2024). "O.J. Simpson's Friend—Whom He Once Robbed—Says O.J. Thought He'd 'Get Better' Before Death (Exclusive)".
233. (2024-04-12). "All of O.J. Simpson's Children Involved in Final Days Before Death".
234. Shapiro, Emily. (April 11, 2024). "O.J. Simpson, former football star acquitted of murder, dies at 76". ABC News.
235. Knoll, Corina. (2024-06-09). "Where O.J. Simpson Found Acceptance, No Questions Asked". The New York Times.
236. Schilken, Chuck. (April 12, 2024). "From anger to appreciation, O.J. Simpson's death elicits wide range of reactions". Los Angeles Times.
237. Lutz, Tom. (April 11, 2024). "Sports world reacts to OJ Simpson death with silence and derision". The Guardian.
238. Niemietz, Brian. (11 April 2014). "Buffalo Bills, NFL and USC ignore OJ Simpson's death". Yahoo! Sports.
239. Gordon, Grant. (11 April 2014). "Former NFL running back O.J. Simpson dies of cancer at age 76". National Football League.
240. (April 11, 2024). "HOF RB O.J. Simpson passes away at age 76".
241. Schad, Tom. (11 April 2014). "Celebrating O.J. Simpson's football feats remains a delicate balance for his former teams".
242. Graham, Tim. (2024-04-12). "Graham: The complications, controversy and delicate balance of covering O.J. Simpson's legacy".
243. (April 12, 2024). "Former Bills teammate remembers playing with O.J. Simpson".
244. (April 11, 2024). "Reaction to the death of O.J. Simpson".
245. (12 April 2024). "O.J. Simpson's legacy rang loudest where his death created silence". Yahoo!.
246. (11 April 2024). "Buffalo Bills teammate Joe DeLamielleure details last conversation with O.J. Simpson".
247. Goldman, Kim. "We needed a minute to collect our thoughts and even still, it's a lot to process ...".
248. Arkin, Daniel. (2024-04-12). "Ron Goldman's father and Alan Dershowitz react to O.J. Simpson's death". NBC News.
249. (May 2, 2024). "Denise Brown Reflects on Her Sister Nicole Brown Simpson's Murder 30 Years Later: 'She's Not Just a Crime Story'".
250. "Reaction to the death of O.J. Simpson".
251. (September 26, 2023). "O.J. Simpson's Death Draws Reactions From Around the Sports World".
252. (April 11, 2024). "Caitlyn Jenner Posts 'Good Riddance' After O.J. Simpson's Death".
253. (September 26, 2023). "O.J. Simpson Joins 'It Is What It Is' Podcast As Football Analyst".
254. (April 12, 2024). "TRIBUTE TO UNCLE O REST IN PEACE O.J SIMPSON S3 EP72".
255. "Cam'ron Slams Caitlyn Jenner for Comment About O.J. Simpson's Death: 'You Ain't Princess Diana'".
256. (April 12, 2024). "Stephen A. reacts to the death of O.J. Simpson – ESPN Video". ESPN.
257. Martin, Chantz. (April 11, 2024). "Stephen A. Smith reacts to O.J. Simpson's death, weighs in on infamous trial: 'I believed he was guilty'". Fox News.
258. (April 11, 2024). "Stephanie Mills".
259. Tenreyro, Tatiana. (April 11, 2024). "O.J. Simpson Death: Caitlyn Jenner Says "Good Riddance" as Hollywood Stars React to News".
260. (April 11, 2024). "TODD GURLEY MOURNS O.J. SIMPSON'S DEATH ... 'You'll Be Missed'".
261. (April 12, 2024). "From anger to appreciation, O.J. Simpson's death elicits wide range of reactions".
262. (April 12, 2024). "Bob Costas recalls O.J. Simpson car chase following his death: 'It was surreal, to put it mildly'".
263. Victorian, Brandon. (July 20, 2024). "Courtney B. Vance Was Intimidated to Portray Johnnie Cochran. Now He’s Playing Another Attorney in ’61st Street’".
264. Ritter, Ken. (2024-04-17). "OJ Simpson has been cremated, estate attorney in Las Vegas says. No public memorial is planned". ABC News.
265. (April 17, 2024). "No public memorial planned as OJ Simpson has been cremated, Las Vegas attorney says".
266. (2024-04-13). "Executor of O.J. Simpson's estate plans to fight payout to the families of Brown and Goldman".
267. Dolak, Kevin. (April 15, 2024). "O.J. Simpson's Lawyer Reverses Opinion on Payments to Goldman Family (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
268. (April 17, 2024). "O.J. Simpson was "alert and chilling" on the couch drinking beer, watching TV 2 weeks before he died, lawyer says". CBS News.
269. Nordyke, Kimberly. (June 30, 2024). "O.J. Simpson Featured During 'In Memoriam' Segment at BET Awards".
270. (2024). "Television Academy In Memoriam 2024".
271. (2025). "56th NAACP Image Awards".
272. (August 20, 2024). "O.J. Simpson Executor I Gotta Liquidate His Assets ... Need $269K From His House". TMZ.
273. (August 20, 2024). "O.J. Simpson's Estate Executor Wants His 'Forever' Las Vegas Home". Blast.
274. Graziosi, Graig. (August 26, 2024). "OJ Simpson's kids turn his ashes into jewelry". The Independent.
275. (July 26, 2024). "Father of Ron Goldman seeks $117M from O.J. Simpson's Las Vegas estate". KVVU-TV.
276. (August 26, 2024). "O.J. Simpson Ashes To Ashes, Dust To Jewelry ... Remains Become Trinkets". TMZ.
277. Edgers, Geoff. (April 12, 2024). "The unlikely but enduring bond between Norm Macdonald and O.J. Simpson". The Washington Post.
278. (2024-04-12). "Only Norm Macdonald Gave O.J. Simpson What He Deserved".
279. (April 11, 2024). "Conan O'Brien Praises Norm Macdonald's 'Brilliant' O.J. Simpson Jokes That Got Him Fired From 'SNL'". Yahoo.
280. (April 12, 2024). "Norm Macdonald's scathing OJ takedowns on SNL resurface after Simpson's death: 'Murder is legal in California'". The Independent.
281. (April 12, 2024). "The unlikely but enduring bond between Norm Macdonald and O.J. Simpson". The Washington Post.
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