According to his family, O.J. Simpson, the former football great who was accused of and ultimately acquitted of the horrific 1994 slayings of his ex-wife and her friend, has died at 76. A statement from his family said, “On April 10th, our father, Orenthan James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, the family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”
Simpson had reportedly been battling prostate cancer in recent years, and his health took a turn for the worst as of late, with him landing in hospice care within the past few months. The discussion of his cancer diagnosis first made rounds in February when a local outlet reported it, although the details were unclear, as was Simpon’s response to the news at the time when he denied he was in hospice but didn’t discuss the cancer report. Adding to the mystery was the fact that Simpson actually touched on a cancer diagnosis in 2023 in a video posted on X. He said he’d caught “some form of cancer” but suggested he’d beaten it.
Simpson had been looking frail in the lead-up to his passing, including during an outing in January when he was spotted using a cane. It goes without saying that Simpon’s life was noteworthy for various reasons, lots of good and bad, specifically in his post-football years. However, before that, he was a beloved all-American hero on the field, a USC Heisman winner and a Buffalo Bills legend. In 1969, the Buffalo Bills made Simpson the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. “Juice” went on to make five First Team All-Pro squads and six Pro Bowls. He was named MVP in 1973 when he became the first to rush for 2,000 yards in a season (doing it in 14 games) while averaging 141.3 yards per game, still an NFL record.
Simpson spent nine years with the Buffalo Bills before wrapping up his career with two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. Even after football, he was an A-lister in Hollywood, acting in tons of movies and TV shows and famously serving as the face and pitchman for Hertz for many, many years. Sadly, in 1994, his life changed forever. On June 12th, the bodies of Brown Simpson and Goldman were found outside her condo in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles.
On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.
He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.
-The Simpson Family
— O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) April 11, 2024
Simpson was a person of interest in the murders, but rather than turn himself in five days later, he led police on a low-speed chase throughout Los Angeles as a passenger in a white Ford Bronco driven by former NFL player Al Cowlings. An estimated television audience of 95 million watched the drama unfold, with live coverage preempting regular programming, including the NBA Finals. He eventually surrendered to police at his Brentwood home that night. His criminal trial began in January 1995 and was labeled “The Trial of the Century.” It featured lead prosecutor Marcia Clark against a “legal dream team” for Simpson led by Johnnie Cochran, who famously pleaded to the jury during closing arguments, “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit,” a reference to a glove matching one found at the scene of the murders. On October 3rd, the jury found Simpson not guilty of either murder.
However, Simpson’s legal woes were hardly over. In 1997, the Goldman family filed a civil lawsuit against Simpson, and the jury found him liable for $33.5 million. To help settle court costs, Simpson auctioned off his copy of the 1968 Heisman for $230,000, plus commission. Simpson eventually moved from his native California to Florida, and aside from several run-ins with the law, he largely stayed out of the public spotlight. But 13 years later, Simpson went to trial again, this time in Las Vegas after he and another man, Clarence Stewart, robbed two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint after breaking into their hotel room. Simpson told police that the memorabilia had been stolen from him and he was just trying to reclaim it. But he was convicted of 12 counts of armed robbery and kidnapping and sentenced to 33 years in prison.
He was released on parole in October 2017 and was deemed “a completely free man” after being discharged from parole in 2021. Simpson remained in the Las Vegas area after his release and stayed in the public eye, even joining Twitter. But he said that 1994 night is one that neither he nor his family will ever revisit. O.J. Simpson is survived by four children: Arnelle and Jason, from his first marriage, and Sydney and Justin, from his marriage to Nicole Brown Simpson.