File photo: O.J. Simpson attends a parole hearing at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada, on July 20, 2017. Simpson is serving a nine- to 33-year prison sentence for a 2007 armed robbery and kidnapping conviction.
NFL star O.J. Simpson, who shocked the world in 1995 when he was acquitted in the so-called “trial of the century'' for the brutal murders of his wife and male friend, has died at the age of 76, his family says. announced.
“On April 10th, our father Orental James Simpson passed away after a battle with cancer,” a message signed by his family posted on social media site X.
On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, passed away after a battle with cancer.
He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
His family requests that their wishes for privacy and grace be respected during this time of transition.
-Simpson family
— OJ Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) April 11, 2024
“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. His family asks that you respect their wishes for privacy and grace during this time of transition,” the message said. was.
Simpson was reportedly battling prostate cancer.
Despite growing up in extreme poverty and poor health, Simpson grew up to be an elite athlete, quickly rising to stardom, first as a college football player and then winning the National Football League's 1973 Most Valuable Player Award.
His popularity grew even more with his post-NFL career as an actor and public relations man, and his appearances promoting everything from orange juice to car rentals made him one of the most recognizable black faces in the country. I did.
His work with Hertz, in particular, in which he is depicted speeding through an airport in a three-piece suit, has become part of pop culture folklore.
fame turns into notoriety
But fame turned to notoriety after his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were brutally murdered outside Los Angeles.
The unusual trial, which featured a lengthy police chase to arrest O.J. Simpson, followed by an overzealous defense and allegations of racial discrimination, was watched by millions on television.
His acquittal in October 1995 after a nine-month trial left many Americans watching the twists and turns of the debate over details such as whether the gloves really fit the former players' hands. was greeted with disbelief.
Public opinion on whether “The Juice” was guilty or not guilty was largely divided along racial lines.
And although he was allowed to walk free, there was no happy next chapter for “OJ” as he was mostly known.
Simpson was later found responsible for the deaths in a 1997 civil suit and ordered to pay a total of $33.5 million in damages to the victims' families.
He served nearly nine years in prison for a botched armed robbery, and the Western Nevada Parole Board approved his release in 2017.
However, public interest never completely waned.
OJ: Made in AmericaThe nearly eight-hour documentary about his murder trial won the 2017 Academy Award for Best Documentary.
and The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Storya television mini-series starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as an athlete, won multiple Emmy Awards in 2016.
On February 9 of this year, Simpson posted a video denying reports that X was receiving hospice care.
He said on the air from the driver's seat of his car, “Are you talking about hospice?!”
“No, I'm not on hospice,” he said with a laugh. “I don't know who said that, but whoever said that, it would be like Donald[Trump]saying, 'You can't trust the media.'
“In any case, I'm going to invite a lot of my friends to the Super Bowl here in Las Vegas. All is well. Take care, everyone, and have a great Super Bowl.”
– This article has been updated with additional information.