OJ Simpson
LOS ANGELES (CNS) – O.J. Simpson, the USC and NFL star running back- turned-actor whose acquittal for the murders of his ex-wife and her friend in the downtown Los Angeles “Trial of the Century” changed the face of the criminal justice system, has died from cancer, his family announced Thursday. He was 76.
“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 posted on social media.
Simpson was battling prostate cancer and was in hospice care, according to reports by TMZ. In a video posted online in early February, Simpson denied media reports he was in hospice care, and said he was preparing to host “a ton of friend” for a Super Bowl party in Las Vegas.
“All is well,” he said in the video.
A Hall of Fame football player and Heisman Trophy winner when he played at USC, transitioned to sportcasting and acting after his football career, including appearances in films such as “The Towering Inferno” and the comedic “Naked Gun” movie series. He also starred in a series of memorable commercials for Hertz, showing him sprinting through airports and dodging other passengers and luggage like football linebackers.
But Simpson became a cultural icon following the killings of ex-wife and her friend in 1994, a nationally broadcast police chase on L.A. freeways with Simpson in back of a white Ford Bronco, and his ultimate acquittal of murder charges following one of the most high-profile court cases in history.
Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were found stabbed to death on June 12, 1994, outside of Brown Simpson’s home in Brentwood. Days later, Simpson was identified by police as a suspect in the killings.
Simpson, with friend Al Cowlings, led police on a chase in a white Bronco through Southern California five days after the killings. An estimated 95 million Americans watched the chase on television though Los Angeles that lasted for two hours.
Simpson eventually surrendered to police and was placed on trial for the murders. Overseen by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lance Ito, the trial became a national spectacle, with gavel-to-gavel live television coverage and the often-theatric antics of Simpson’s “Dream Team” of attorneys, most notably the late Johnnie Cochran, who immortalized the line “If it does not fit, you must acquit.” The line was a reference to a critical trial moment when Simpson tried on a pair of gloves allegedly worn by the killer, but they were too small.
The conduct of the trial led to questions about Ito’s ability to control the high-profile attorneys and swarming media, and also about whether such intense media coverage should be permissible in criminal trials.
The trial dug deep into American racial divides, with Simpson’s attorneys sowing seeds of doubt about whether Simpson — a Black man, albeit a rich and famous one — was being fairly treated by the U.S. justice system and police, particularly in a murder case with two white victims.
Simpson was acquitted of the murder charges in October 1995, 11 months after the trial started, and it exposed deep racial divides across the country, with opinions of the jury’s decision differing wildly in Black and white communities.
Questions about his possible guilt in the face of what prosecutors portrayed as irrefutable DNA evidence lingered until Simpson’s death.
In 1997, a jury in Santa Monica found Simpson civilly liable for the deaths of Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson, and he was ordered to pay their families $33.5 million in damages. Much of that judgment is believed to have never been paid.
Ron Goldman’s father Fred and sister Kim issued a statement saying news of Simpson’s death “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 (Simpson’s book) `If I Did It,’ the hope for true accountability has ended,” they said. “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.”
Twelve years after the “Trial of the Century,” Simpson was found guilty of kidnapping and armed robbery for breaking into a Las Vegas hotel and casino with other men in September 2007 and stealing at gunpoint what he claimed was his own sports memorabilia. He was sentenced to 33 years in prison a year later and was released on parole on Oct. 1, 2017.
Los Angeles civil rights attorney Carl Douglas, who was a partner of Cochran and served on Simpson’s criminal defense team, said in a statement Thursday he was “shocked and surprised to hear of O.J. Simpson’s death at the relatively young age of 76.”
“He is one of the most famous clients that I have ever represented in my 44 years as a lawyer, and I expect our names will forever be linked together in some way,” he said. “My sincere condolences go out to his four children. May he rest in peace.”
Attorney Alan Dershowitz, who worked with Simpson’s criminal defense team, told NBC News he was “upset” to learn of his death.
“I got to know him fairly well during the trial,” he said. “It was one of the most divisive trials in American history along racial lines. He’ll always be remembered for the Bronco chase, for the glove and for the moment of acquittal.”
Marcia Clark, the lead prosecutor in the criminal trial, said simply in a statement to Entertainment Thursday evening, “I send my condolences to Mr. Simpson’s family.”
Kato Kaelin, who was living in Simpson’s guest house at the time of the killings and testified during the murder trial, posted a video on Instagram reacting to his death.
“Foremost, I’d like to express my condolences to the children, to Sydney and to Justin, to Jason and Arnelle,” he said. “They lost their father, and that is never easy. I wish to express my love and compassion to the Goldmans, to Fred and Kim. I hope you find closure. And finally, to the family of the beautiful Nicole Brown Simpson, may we always cherish her memories. Nicole was a beacon of light that burned bright. May we never forget her.”
In recent years Simpson maintained a relatively low profile, although he was active on social media, posting videos commenting on college and NFL football and other topics. His most recent video was posted in support of the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame paid tribute on its website to Simpson’s celebrated playing career, which included six Pro Bowl appearances and five first-team All-Pro selections. He was also named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s, the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
“O.J. Simpson was the first player to reach a rushing mark many thought could not be attained in a 14-game season when he topped 2,000 yards,” Jim Porter, president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said in a statement. “His on-field contributions will be preserved in the Hall’s archives in Canton, Ohio.”
Simpson is survived by four children, Arnelle and Jason, from his first marriage, and Sydney and Justin from his marriage to Brown Simpson.
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