THE JUICE GONE
OJ Simpson dead at 76: Infamous ex-NFL star acquitted of killing ex-wife & her friend in 90s dies after cancer diagnosis
In the months leading up to his death, OJ Simpson's ailing health became apparent
OJ Simpson, the infamous ex-NFL star who was acquitted of killing his ex-wife and her friend in 1994, has died at age 76.
died on Wednesday following a battle with cancer, his family announced.
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The family said he was surrounded by his children and grandchildren in when he died.
OJ Simpson was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February.
At the time, the once-prominent star brushed off rumors of being in hospice care in an , formerly Twitter, post.
"Hospice?! Hospice?! You talking about Hospice?" Simpson said at the time, imitating legend Allen Iverson's iconic practice rant.
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"No, I'm not in any hospice. I don't know who put that out there, but whoever put that out there, I guess, it's like the Donald said, 'You can't trust the media.'
"All is well," Simpson added.
In the months leading up to his death, Simpson's health issues became apparent as he was pictured by the in November 2023 looking frail and limping.
Then, in January, Simpson was pictured using a cane during an outing.
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His death received a mixed reaction from those close to him and those involved in his double murder case.
Caitlyn Jenner, who used to be Simpson's close friend, wrote on X, "Good riddance."
OJ Simpson struggles to put on blood-stained gloves on dramatic day of murder trial
Tom Lange, one of the lead detectives who worked on Simpson's murder case, told , "I have nothing to say, I simply don't care."
Fred Goldman, the father of Ron Goldman, who was killed alongside Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, in 1994, told , "The only thing I have to say is it's just a further reminder of Ron being gone all these years.
"It's no great loss to the world. It's a further reminder of Ron's being gone."
- OJ Simpson dead at 76
- Died 'surrounded by children and grandchildren'
- Claimed to be ‘in good health’ in video weeks before death
- Looked frail in final photos
- From legendary NFL career to murder trial that shocked nation
- Inside his final years
- How trial 'tore apart' Kardashian family
- Old vacation photo resurfaces
- Caitlyn Jenner: Good riddance
- Stephen A Smith: The Lord will deal with him
- Ron Goldman's father: No great loss
1994 DOUBLE MURDER
Simpson's accolades on the football field were tarnished after he was arrested for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, waiter Ron Goldman.
On June 12, 1994, Nicole and Goldman were found stabbed to death outside of her condo in the Brentwood neighborhood of .
Goldman and Brown were found with multiple stab wounds to the head, neck, and body.
Investigators believe Brown fought for her life as she suffered defensive wounds on her hands.
Among the trail of evidence found at the scene was a single bloodied black glove.
Detectives went to Simpson's home to inform him about his ex-wife's murder and found blood splatters on a white Bronco parked in the driveway.
A second black glove was then found on the athlete's property, which was later linked to the one authorities found at the murder scene.
The murder weapon was never found.
After the jarring evidence was uncovered, police ordered Simpson to surrender, but instead of turning himself in, Simpson fled in another Bronco, which was driven by his friend, Al Cowlings.
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BRONCO CHASE
In a 2 pm news conference, the Police Department declared that Simpson was a fugitive after failing to turn himself in at the 11 am deadline on June 17, 1994.
The move sparked one of the most iconic television broadcasts in American history.
A massive pursuit ensued as over 20 police cruisers chased Simpson through city streets and highways spanning 60 miles in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.
The moment was broadcast on every major news outlet in and was watched by nearly 95 million viewers, making it the highest-rated basic cable event of that year.
Authorities completely stopped traffic from Disneyland to Los Angeles as commuters stopped in their tracks to cheer Simpson on, with some even holding signs that read, "Go OJ!"
TV news choppers broadcast the entire two-hour chase, which stretched throughout Orange County and eventually ended at Simpson's home in Brentwood.
When Simpson entered his home, police allowed him to call his mom before he was ultimately arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
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Inside OJ Simpson's infamous police car chase
On June 17, 1994, OJ Simpson, seen driving his white Ford Bronco, led a mass of police cars on a 90-minute chase through southern California.
Two days prior, his wife Nicole Brown, 35, and her friend Ron Goldman, 25, were found brutally stabbed to death outside her Los Angeles condo.
After gathering evidence from the scene, including bloody murder gloves, police filed charges against Simpson, and he was scheduled to turn himself in at 11 am on the 17th.
However, he failed to show up at the police station, and officials started looking for him.
Simpson's defense attorney Ben Shapiro gave detectives the address where he had been lying low, but responding officers found that he ran away.
The former NFL superstar was declared a fugitive and a massive search was launched for him and his friend Al Cowlings, who he had run away with.
Hours after the search was launched, Simpson called 911 from his cell phone while driving his white Ford Bronco, allowing police to track down his location.
At around 6 pm local time, the low-speed chase started and continued down the I-5 Freeway in Orange County, California.
The chase was live-streamed by news outlets and horrified viewers across the nation were glued to their television screens to see what happened next.
Domino's Pizza had its best day ever as families were too busy watching to make any dinner.
By 9 pm that same day, Simpson led cops to his Brentwood estate.
After a tense standoff, he turned himself in, and he was taken to the Los Angeles County Jail.
'TRIAL OF THE CENTURY'
Simpson's double murder trial began on January 24, 1995, and was dominated by media coverage until the verdict's end.
Dozens of news outlets and reporters descended into Los Angeles to cover the trial of the beloved star athlete turned accused criminal.
The trial, broadcast live worldwide on major news channels, was eventually dubbed the "trial of the century."
OJ Simpson assembled a powerhouse legal team for his defense that consisted of lawyers Robert Blasier, Shawn Chapman Holley, Robert Shapiro, Alan Dershowitz, Robert Kardashian, and lead attorney Johnnie Cochran.
The prosecution, led by Marcia Clar and Christopher A. Darden, was prepared for trial armed with overwhelming evidence, including the blood-stained glove, shoe prints, hair strands, shirt fibers, and more.
DNA tests also showed that the bloody golf glove found at Simpson's home matched the one left at the crime scene.
Prosecutors also had a record of 62 incidents of abuse involving Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson.
However, as the trial started, Judge Lance Ito made it clear that the police inquiries into the alleged abuse were flawed, and photo evidence was either lost or mislabeled.
And the prosecution's smoking gun, in the DNA evidence, was improperly stored, raising concerns that it may have been tainted.
The iconic moment in the trial came when the prosecution asked Simpson, who did not testify in the proceeding, to try on the golf gloves.
However, Simpson struggled to slip the gloves on as they appeared to be too small.
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'IT DOESN'T FIT'
"It doesn't fit, if it [the glove] doesn't fit, you must acquit," lead attorney Johnnie Cochran told the jury during closing arguments.
Hundreds of fans holding up signs waited on the courthouse steps as the American public waited for the jury to return with a verdict.
It was reported that even President left the Oval Office to join his secretaries to view the verdict.
In the end, the jury deliberated for only three hours and acquitted Simpson of all charges.
Cries of "yes!" and "oh, no!" echoed through the packed courtroom as Simpson celebrated with his team.
Simpson was released from custody after spending over 470 days in prison, but his financial hardship began.
At the start of the trial, Simpson's reported net worth was $11 million, but court records showed he was left with only $3.5 million after his legal proceedings ended.
Simpson was forced to sell a trove of his sports memorabilia, including his prized Heisman Trophy.
Thirteen years after his double-murder trial, Simpson and Clarence Stewart were arrested in 2008 in connection with a gunpoint robbery in Las Vegas.
Simpson and Stewart were accused of robbing sports memorabilia from a dealer, which the former NFL star claimed was stolen from him first.
Simpson was eventually convicted of 12 counts of armed robbery and kidnapping and sentenced to 33 years in prison.
He was granted parole in 2017 after serving nine years.
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THE JUICE
Prior to being at the center of a double murder crime, Simpson was a decorated athlete on the football field, becoming the University of Southern California's second-ever Heisman Trophy winner in 1968.
In his two seasons with USC, Simpson was twice a unanimous All-American.
Viewed as the most coveted player in college football, Simpson declared for the NFL Draft in 1969 and was selected first overall by the .
It didn't take long for the star running back, born Orenthal James Simpson, to establish himself as a powerhouse in the pros, winning league MVP honors in 1973.
He earned the nickname The Juice and is often regarded as one of the all-time great running backs on the gridiron.
Despite his individual play and accolades, the Bills never reached a and only made the postseason once during Simpson's time with the team.
The Bills traded their star running back to his hometown, , before the start of the 1978 season.
Simpson played two seasons with the 49ers before retiring in December 1979.
Simpson enjoyed brief appearances in Hollywood before and during his career in the NFL.
He starred in films like The Naked Gun, The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear, The Kiansman, and Capricorn One, and appeared in episodes of the television series Medical Center, Roots.
It was on the set of The Kiansman where Simpson said he seriously considered a career in acting after seeing Lee Marvin and Richard Burton during their sets.
said that director James Cameron considered casting Simpson for the lead role of The Terminator in 1984 when the renowned bodybuilder was cast as Kyle Reese.
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However, Schwarzenegger was eventually given the role, and Simpson was not involved in the film.
In 1980, Simpson viewed an and Emmy Award as a "level of competence" in Hollywood, and he "would love to have one."
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OJ Simpson's football career
OJ Simpson played for 11 seasons in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers from 1969 to 1979.
After starring in college for the University of Southern California in 1967 and 1968, he was drafted No.1 overall by the Bills in 1969.
Simpson spent nine of his 11 seasons in western New York and was named NFL MVP in 1973.
He was also a five-time Pro Bowler and led the league in rushing four times.
The former running back had two seasons with the 49ers before retiring in 1979.
Simpson scored 75 touchdowns during his career - 61 rushing and 14 receiving.
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