O.J. Simpson dead at 76 after cancer battle
On Wednesday, Apr. 10, 2024, Orenthal “O.J.” Simpson died of prostate cancer at the age of 76. Simpson led a life that was very prevalently in the public eye and made him one of the most famous individuals in America. According to The New York Times, “He was a Heisman Trophy winner and a star for the Buffalo Bills, and he made fortunes as a Hollywood actor and a commercial pitchman—he was the first black star of a national television advertising campaign. Then, in 1994, he was charged with the double murder of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.”
His 1995 murder trial captivated the nation, with many left questioning his plea of not guilty. Despite the criticism, the jury acquitted him at the time, but even today—almost 30 years after the trial—people still ruminate over his innocence. This uncertainty was legally affirmed in a 1997 civil court that found Simpson guilty of the murders. After this revised verdict, Simpson was ordered to pay 33.5 million dollars to the Goldman and Brown families.
Even after it seemed he had gotten off easy for any potential crimes, he did not keep out of trouble. Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada under charges of robbery and kidnapping in the mid-2000s and, in 2008, was convicted and sentenced to 33 years of imprisonment with a minimum of nine years without the possibility of parole. Simpson served his time at the Lovelock Correctional Center and was granted parole in July 2017.
Now that Simpson has passed, though, it has been discovered that he never paid either family from the 1997 case and the amount owed has grown to $114 million due to interest. According to People Magazine, David Cook, the representative for the Golman family, states, “…that previous lawyers from the family had sought to obtain pensions that Simpson received from the NFL, but they went nowhere with it. Lawyers also potentially looked at obtaining the money from Simpson’s trusts as well, but they kept hitting a wall.” Thus, Simpson died with $114 million in debt, and the families are scrambling for a way to obtain the money they are still owed.
Before the 2024 Super Bowl, Simpson continually released multiple statements about his health on social media. Simpson stated, “My health is good. I mean, I'm dealing with some issues, but hey, I think I'm just about over it, and I'll be back on that golf course hopefully in a couple of weeks." He also expressed his gratitude to his supporters amid his cancer diagnosis and shared his Super Bowl predictions.
During his final moments, it has been reported that Simpson was surrounded by his four children—Jason, Arnelle, Sydney, and Justin—who came to his side after they were told by medical professionals that he was crucially unwell. While it was not shocking that Jason and Arnelle were there, it was surprising to many individuals when they heard that Sydney and Justin, Nicole Brown’s children, were present, even though they had never spoken publicly about the suspicions surrounding their father.
Thumbnail photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons