O.J. Simpson, the former NFL star who was famously accused and acquitted of his ex-wife and her friend’s murder, has died at 76 after a cancer battle.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” Simpson’s family announced on X.
“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 statement continued.
Simpson revealed in May 2023 that he had been battling cancer and had undergone chemotherapy.
While he didn’t share the type of cancer, he said in a video that it “looks like [he] beat it.” It was reported in February 2024 that Simpson was once again receiving treatment. He returned to with another video thanking those who had reached out for their good wishes but denied being in hospice.
Simpson played in the NFL for 11 seasons, first with the Buffalo Bills and then for a short stint with the San Francisco 49ers. After retiring from football, he worked as a sportscaster and actor.
In June 1994, his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were stabbed outside the former’s Los Angeles home. Police had announced their intent to arrest Simpson and five days after the murder, Simpson’s friend Al Cowlings led police on a two-hour car chase throughout Los Angeles. Simpson was in the back seat with a gun and had to kill himself.
He ultimately turned himself in and stood trial in November 1995. After 11 months, he was acquitted of the murder charges.
Brown Simpson’s father filed a civil suit against Simpson in 1997. A jury unanimously determined Simpson was responsible for the deaths of Brown Simpson and Perlman and awarded her father $33.5 million USD. The decision led to Simpson fleeing California for Florida, where assets cannot be seized to cover liabilities incurred in another state.
12 years after he was acquitted of murder, Simpson was found guilty of an armed robbery that had taken place the year prior. Simpson and a group had broken into a Las Vegas hotel room and stolen sports memorabilia from its owner. In 2008, he was sentenced to 33 years in prison and served just nine years before being released on parole in 2017.
At the time of Simpson’s death, he was living in Las Vegas. He’s survived by five children – three with his first ex-wife, Marguerite L. Whitley, and two with Brown Simpson.
