O.J Simpson dies at 76

O.J. Simpson, a  NFL Hall of Famer who was accused and later found not guilty of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife and her friend, has passed away. He was 76.

The family of Simpson announced on social media that he had passed away on Wednesday.

“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 family’s statement announced.

The former football star disclosed his battle with cancer in a video uploaded on X, previously known as Twitter, in May 2023.

“I unfortunately caught cancer, so I had to do the whole chemo thing,” he shared in the video, without giving specifics on the type of cancer he had. Several media outlets later reported he was suffering from prostate cancer.

Orenthal James Simpson was born in San Francisco on July 9, 1947.

Given the moniker "The Juice," he excelled as a college athlete, playing football for the USC Trojans. As a senior, he was the recipient of the Heisman Trophy and was chosen by the Buffalo Bills during the 1969 National Football League draft.

He competed in the National Football League for a period of 11 seasons and is widely recognized as one of the most outstanding running backs in the sport's history.

Following his retirement from football, Simpson pursued a career as a sportscaster, an actor with numerous credits in both film and television productions, and a spokesperson for Hertz rental cars.

The media career of the formerly popular entertainment figure came to an abrupt halt when he was accused of the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman.

Nicole and Ron were tragically murdered through multiple stab wounds on June 12, 1994, outside her residence situated in the Brentwood district of Los Angeles.

In a matter of days following the homicides, law enforcement officials identified Simpson as a potential suspect.

Prior to his surrender, Simpson was engaged in a televised, slow-speed pursuit with the police in a white Ford Bronco across the streets of Los Angeles. In the vehicle was Al Cowlings, a close companion of Simpson for many years, driving while Simpson was in the rear seat brandishing a firearm and making threats of self-harm.

Simpson surrendered himself to law enforcement authorities and was subsequently prosecuted for the committed homicides. In October of 1995, he was found not guilty in a trial that was televised regularly and closely followed by the media.

He was held responsible for both deaths in a civil lawsuit in 1997.

More than ten years later, Simpson was apprehended in 2007 for orchestrating a group of individuals to enter a Las Vegas hotel and casino with weapons, in an attempt to purloin items of sports memorabilia that he claimed belonged to him.

Simpson faced multiple serious charges, such as kidnapping and armed robbery. In the subsequent year, he was convicted and given a prison sentence of up to 33 years.

He served a nine-year prison sentence in Nevada before being released in 2017.