Zinger Key Points
- From gridiron glory to courtroom drama, Simpson's demise punctuates a life marked by fame, infamy, and a high-profile legal saga.
- Simpson's legacy: A mixed bag of record-breaking sports achievements and scandal, leaving a complex imprint on American culture.
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Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional details.
Former football superstar Orenthal James ‘O.J.’ Simpson died at 76 Wednesday after a long battle with cancer, as confirmed by his family.
What Happened: ABC7 Los Angeles reported on Thursday that Simpson’s family announced his death via a social media post. The statement read, “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.”
In May 2023, Simpson publicly disclosed his cancer diagnosis through a social media video, stating that he was undergoing chemotherapy. By February 2024, there were reports that Simpson had resumed cancer treatment, a claim he neither confirmed nor denied.
Simpson, also known as “The Juice,” was a record-setting football player who later ventured into acting and corporate endorsements. His fame, however, took a dark turn in 1994 when he was charged with the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman and subsequently acquitted in a nationally televised trial.
OJ Simpson was found liable for Brown and Goldman’s deaths in a civil lawsuit in 1997 and was ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages.
In 2007, Simpson was found guilty of armed robbery and kidnapping, leading to a nine-year prison sentence before he was paroled in 2017.
After his release, Simpson continued to live in the Las Vegas area and remained visible to the public, even becoming active on Twitter. However, he said the events of 1994 are a topic he and his family would never discuss again.
“We don’t need to go back and relive the worst day of our lives,” Simpson said to The Associated Press in 2019. “My family and I have moved on to what we call the ‘no negative zone.’ We focus on the positives.”
Simpson is survived by his four children: Arnelle, Jason, Sydney, and Justin.
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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo: Wikimedia
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