O.J. Simpson has passed away. Through his former X account, his family revealed the sad news, asking for privacy and grace during this time of mourning. According to the brief statement, O.J. Simpson died as a result of a battle with cancer.
He died on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, at age 76. Reports earlier this year hinted at his health struggles, with news surfacing in February that he was battling prostate cancer and undergoing chemotherapy sessions in Las Vegas.
Despite these challenges, O.J. Simpson maintained a public facade of being fine. He even addressed rumors of his deteriorating health with a video message, assuring fans that he was not in hospice. Also, he revealed plans to enjoy the Super Bowl with friends.
Who Is O.J. Simpson?
Born in San Francisco on July 9, 1947, O.J. Simpson rose to stardom as a football icon. He played 11 NFL seasons, nine of them with the Buffalo Bills. During that time, he earned the nickname “The Juice” on an offensive line called “The Electric Company.”
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Ultimately, he won four NFL rushing titles, amassing an impressive 11,236 yards in his career, scoring 76 touchdowns, and playing in five Pro Bowls. Yet, Simpson’s legacy took a sad turn with the infamous 1994 murders of his second wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.
The live televised spectacle of his arrest, following a notorious slow-speed chase, was one of the biggest moments in the case’s coverage.
O. J. Simpson’s Legal Troubles
Despite his acquittal in the highly publicized criminal trial in 1995, O.J. Simpson’s legal troubles continued to haunt him. In 1997, a civil trial jury found him responsible for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. According to AP, the court ordered him to pay a staggering $33.5 million to the victims’ families.
Amid news of O.J. Simpson’s passing, Lead detective Tom Lange, who played a vital role in the 1994 case, said, “I have nothing to say, I simply don’t care.” Conversely, David Cook, attorney for the Goldman family, lamented that Simpson died “without penance.” Also, he hinted at the family’s intention to pursue legal action to claim any remaining assets from his estate.
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The saga of O.J. Simpson took another dark turn a decade after the murder trials. This time, he orchestrated a confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room, leading to a conviction for armed robbery and other felonies. Sentenced to nine years in a remote Nevada prison, Simpson experienced a dramatic fall from grace.
He served as a gym janitor before being granted parole in October 2017. However, his release from prison did little to erase the shadow cast by his stormy legal troubles and controversial life choices.
More Details About O. J. Simpson’s Legal Troubles
“I’ve basically spent a conflict-free life, you know,” Simpson, whose parole ended in late 2021, said. Notably, public fascination with O.J. Simpson never faded, with many debating if he was punished in Las Vegas for his acquittal in Los Angeles. In 2016, he was the subject of an FX mini-series and a five-part ESPN documentary.
“I don’t think most of America believes I did it,” Simpson informed The New York Times in 1995, a week after a jury determined he did not kill Brown and Goldman. “I’ve gotten thousands of letters and telegrams from people supporting me,” he added.
Twelve years later, after an outpouring of public anger, Rupert Murdoch canceled a planned book by the News Corp-owned HarperCollins in which Simpson proposed his hypothetical account of the killings. It was to be titled “If I Did It.”
As fate would have it, Simpson went on to other fame. One of the antiques of his murder trial, the carefully tailored tan suit he wore when he was acquitted, was later donated and placed on display at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Notably, they informed Simpson that the suit would be in the hotel room in Las Vegas, but it turned out it wasn’t there. Sad story!
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