OJ Simpson death latest: World remembers star athlete and notorious murder suspect as he dies from cancer

But years later, the family obtained the rights to the work and renamed it to make it look as if Simpson was admitting to the crimes.

The former football star worked with a ghostwriter on If I Did It, a provocatively titled memoir that speculated on how he might have murdered his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994. Amid widespread criticism in the media, the project quickly ran into trouble.

“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” his family wrote. “He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.”

Simpson was a former American football player – often regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time – and actor who became a cultural icon. But he was perhaps most well known for his role in the highly publicised and controversial trial of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman.

In what many referred to as “the trial of the century”, Simpson was accused, charged and then acquitted of murdering Brown and Goldman in 1994. His acquittal, by a mostly Black jury, was a seminal moment in US cultural history.

OJ Simpson was a national figure with aspirations of becoming a film star following his successful career in the NFL. However, in 1994, his sports and acting fame were overshadowed by his year-long trial for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman.

Simpson’s trial, at which he was sensationally acquitted, later became the subject of several documentaries, movies and FX’s popular true crime anthology series American Crime Story.

Originally released in 2016, the debut, Emmy-winning season of American Crime Story, is still available to stream on Hulu in the US. UK viewers can watch it on Disney+.

Marcia Clark, the prosecutor who led the state’s case against OJ Simpson for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, gave a brief statement in response to Simpson’s death.

“I send my condolences to Mr Simpson’s family,” Ms Clark said in a statement obtained by ET.

For what was referred to as “the trial of the century,” the late Robert Kardashian Sr reactivated his law license to serve on OJ Simpson’s defense team. Although Robert died in 2003 from esophageal cancer, his famous family has continued to be open about how they were affected by the trial.

Robert’s ex-wife Kris Jenner and his daughters – Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe Kardashian – have explained how the trial created a divide within their family. Kim, who is studying to become a lawyer, has also poked fun at how her father’s work with Simpson has shaped her own career.

Here’s a rundown of everything the Kardashian-Jenner family has said about Simpson’s trial, and their relationship to their father’s close friend.

Kato Kaelin, an actor who served as a minor witness in the OJ Simpson trial, shared a statement on social media, expressing his love and compassion for the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman following the death of Simpson.

“I’d like to express my condolences to the children, to Sydney and to Justin to Jason and Arnelle. They’ve lost their father and that is never easy,” Kaelin said.

“I wish to express my love and compassion to the Goldmans, to Fred and Kim. I hope you find closure. And finally, to the family of the beautiful Nicole Brown Simpson. May we always cherish her memories.”

Kaelin testified briefly during the trial and gained some national attention for it. He was staying in Simpson’s guesthouse the night Brown Simpson and Goldman were murdered.

He added, “Nicole was a beacon of light that burned bright may we never forget her.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that President Joe Biden’s thoughts were with the family of OJ Simpson following his death during the White House press briefing on Thursday.

“I’ll say this, our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time, obviously with his family and loved ones. And I’ll say this, I know that they have asked for some privacy, and so we’re going to respect that. I’ll just leave it there,” Ms Jean-Pierre said in response to a question about Simpson’s death.

Following the announcement of the death of OJ Simpson, Saturday Night Live fans are sharing compilations of Norm Macdonald roasting the infamous NFL star.

Macdonald, who died in 2021 aged 61, was known for his regular jokes about Simpson following the latter’s 1995 acquittal for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman the previous year.

The comedian took aim at Simpson during the Weekend Update segment of the show, and later claimed he was fired over the repeated jibes.

“In his book, OJ Simpsons says he would’ve taken a bullet or stood in front of a train for Nicole. Man, I’m going to tell you, that is some bad luck when the one guy who would’ve died for you kills you,” Macdonald said in one episode before the verdict.

Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter released a brief statement on the death of OJ Simpson.

“OJ Simpson was the first player to reach a rushing mark many thought could not be attained in a 14-game season when he topped 2,000 yards. His on-field contributions will be preserved in the Hall’s archives in Canton, Ohio,” Jim Porter said.

OJ Simpson, the American football star and actor who was acquitted in a sensational 1995 trial of murdering his former wife but was found responsible for her death in a civil lawsuit and was later imprisoned for armed robbery and kidnapping, has died at the age of 76.

Simpson, cleared by a Los Angeles jury in what the U.S. media called “the trial of the century,” had died on Wednesday after a battle with cancer, his family posted on social media on Thursday.

Simpson avoided prison when he was found not guilty in the 1994 stabbing deaths of former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles. Simpson later served nine years in a Nevada prison after being convicted in 2008 on 12 counts of armed robbery and kidnapping two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel.

Nicknamed “The Juice,” Simpson was one of the best and most popular athletes of the late 1960s and 1970s. He overcame childhood infirmity to become an electrifying running back at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s top player. After a record-setting career in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.