O.J. Simpson is useless following a battle with most cancers, his household confirmed on Thursday. He was 76.
A submit to Simpson’s X account shared the information, saying he was surrounded by his kids and grandchildren on April 10 when he died.
“During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace,” the household wrote.
Simpson, an ex-NFL nice, was most generally recognized for the infamous ’90s courtroom case watched world wide, when he stood trial for the double-murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her buddy, Ron Goldman.
He was acquitted of the fees, but it surely turned probably the most talked-about courtroom circumstances of the final century, and its reside, of-the-minute protection on TV modified every thing.
From the police chase of Simpson’s Bronco alongside the Los Angeles freeway to the now-infamous line, “If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit,” the courtroom case transfixed the world.
On the day of the low-speed chase, Simpson was anticipated to show himself in to the police, however he by no means confirmed.
Hours later, Simpson’s lawyer and buddy Robert Kardashian learn a letter from Simpson to the media. It learn, “First, everyone understand. I had nothing to do with Nicole’s murder…I think of my life and feel I’ve done most of the right things. So why do I end up like this? I can’t go on.”
Many took the letter to be a suicide notice, and when a police officer approached the Bronco, Al Cowlings mentioned Simpson was within the again seat with a gun to his head — prompting police to again off however proceed the chase at 56 kilometres per hour.
The world watched as O.J. Simpson fled from police.
Sam Mircovich / Reuters
The 80-kilometre chase ended at Simpson’s house, the place ultimately he surrendered to police.
Prosecutors argued that Simpson killed Nicole in a jealous fury, and so they introduced intensive blood, hair and fibre exams linking Simpson to the murders. The defence countered that the celeb defendant was framed by racist white police.
The trial transfixed America. In the White House, President Bill Clinton left the Oval Office and watched the decision on his secretary’s TV. Many Black Americans celebrated his acquittal, seeing Simpson because the sufferer of bigoted police. Many white Americans had been appalled by his exoneration.
His case sparked debates on race, gender, home abuse, celeb justice and police misconduct.
In this Oct. 3, 1995 file photograph, O.J. Simpson, middle, clenches his fists in victory after the jury mentioned he was not responsible within the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her buddy Ronald Goldman in a Los Angeles courtroom as attorneys F. Lee Bailey, left, and Robert Shapiro, proper, look on.
Myung Chun / AP Photo / Los Angeles Daily News
A prison courtroom jury discovered him not responsible of homicide in 1995, however a separate civil trial jury discovered him liable in 1997 for the deaths and ordered him to pay US$33.5 million to relations of Brown and Goldman.
A decade later, nonetheless shadowed by the California wrongful demise judgment, Simpson led 5 males he barely knew right into a confrontation with two sports activities memorabilia sellers in a cramped Las Vegas resort room. Two males with Simpson had weapons. A jury convicted Simpson of armed theft and different felonies.
Imprisoned at age 61, he served 9 years in a distant northern Nevada jail, together with a stint as a fitness center janitor. He was not contrite when he was launched on parole in October 2017. The parole board heard him insist but once more that he was solely attempting to retrieve sports activities memorabilia and household heirlooms stolen from him after his prison trial in Los Angeles.
In May 2023, Simpson shared a video to X, revealing that he had not too long ago “caught cancer” and “had to do the whole chemo thing.” He added, “It looks like I beat it.”
He didn’t reveal the kind of most cancers.
Then, earlier this 12 months, a TV station in Las Vegas reported that Simpson was once more present process remedy for most cancers.
Simpson responded that very same day, denying rumours he was in hospice care. He didn’t verify or deny whether or not the most cancers had returned.
Orenthal James Simpson was born in San Francisco on July 9, 1947. He contracted rickets at age 2 and was compelled to put on leg braces till he was 5 however recovered so totally that he turned probably the most celebrated soccer gamers of all time.
During 9 seasons for the Buffalo Bills and two for the San Francisco 49ers, Simpson turned one of many best ball carriers in NFL historical past. In 1973, he turned the primary NFL participant to hurry for greater than 2,000 yards in a season. He retired in 1979.
FILE – This 1977 file photograph exhibits O.J. Simpson in his time enjoying for the Buffalo Bills.
The Associated Press
Simpson additionally turned an promoting pitchman, finest recognized for years of TV commercials for Hertz rental automobiles. As an actor, he appeared in motion pictures together with The Towering Inferno (1974), Capricorn One (1977) and the The Naked Gun cop spoof movies in 1988, 1991 and 1994, enjoying a witless police detective.
Simpson married his first spouse, Marguerite, in 1967 and so they had three kids, together with one who drowned within the household’s swimming pool at age 2 in 1979, the 12 months the couple divorced.
Simpson met future spouse Brown when she was a 17-year-old waitress and he was nonetheless married to Marguerite. Simpson and Brown married in 1985 and had two kids. She later referred to as police after incidents during which he struck her. Simpson pleaded no contest to spousal abuse expenses in 1989.
— with information from Global News, Reuters and The Associated Press
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