The former American football player died this Thursday, April 11.
Former American football star OJ Simpson died this Thursday, April 11, according to his family. Initially a sporting legend, he hit rock bottom after killing his wife. “On April 10, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, died following his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren,” his family wrote on X. Placed in the spotlight at a very young age, he became a star in the 1970s in the NFL, the American professional league. At the end of his athletic career in 1979, he became a consultant for television and found a place in cinema.
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 Simpson Family
— OJ Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) April 11, 2024
A “legendary” trial
On June 12, 1994, his ex-wife Nicole Brown was discovered dead in Los Angeles in a pool of blood. Ronald Goldman, a friend of Nicole Brown, was also brutally murdered. Promising to go to the police, he finally chose to flee on June 17. 95 million Americans are following the chase with law enforcement live. NBC even decided to interrupt the broadcast of the NBA finals to cover the event, which ended with the arrest of OJ Simpson. After months of twists and turns, he was finally acquitted.
This acquittal will not necessarily get him off the hook because he is found responsible for the deaths of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman during a civil trial. He is ordered to pay more than $33 million to their families, something he will never do.
OJ Simpson has reportedly been battling prostate cancer for several years which forced him to enter hospice care in recent months. Simpson himself mentioned a cancer diagnosis last year, saying he had beaten it.