OJ Simpson dies aged 76

OJ Simpson, an NFL star turned suspected murderer, has died.

He was 76.

According to his family, he passed away on Wednesday surrounded by his children and grandchildren after losing his battle with cancer.

The family of the deceased in a statement confirmed: “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.”

 

OJ Simpson’s 1995 trial, and controversial acquittal, for the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman, provided one of the world’s most-watched popular culture events of the last century.

Simpson was one of his generation’s most successful and popular sports stars.

His career with the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills, as well as his post-retirement starring roles in Hollywood movies such as The Naked Gun, was eventually overshadowed by the 1994 murders and their aftermath.

On Dec. 5, 2008, Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison for the Las Vegas robbery, with parole eligibility after nine years.

In July 2017, Simpson was granted parole, with the parole board citing his family support, good behaviour behind bars and completion of anti-violence classes while incarcerated as reasons for his early release.

“I’ve spent nine years making no excuses about anything. I am sorry that things turned out the way they did. I had no intent to commit a crime,” he said in his parole hearing.

While Simpson moved to Florida with his children following his 1995 acquittal, he spent the final years of his life living in a gated community in Las Vegas, according to the New York Post.

“Life is fine,” Simpson told the Associated Press in 2019.

He added that he and his children don’t discuss the murders of Nicole and Goldman, explaining, “We don’t need to go back and relive the worst day of our lives.” He added, “My family and I have moved on to what we call the ‘no negative zone.’ We focus on the positives.”