Current:Home > reviewsO.J. Simpson's Cause of Death Revealed -FundSphere
O.J. Simpson's Cause of Death Revealed
View
Date:2025-04-25 01:24:58
New details have emerged about O.J. Simpson's passing.
Two weeks after the former NFL player—who was better known later in life for his 1995 trial for the murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman—died at age 76, his cause of death has been confirmed.
Simpson died after a private battle with prostate cancer, his attorney Michael Lavergne, confirmed to E! News.
Earlier this month, Simpson's kids—including Arnelle and Jason, from his first marriage to Marguerite Whitley, and Sydney and Justin, from his marriage to Nicole—announced he had passed away in a statement posted on their dad's social media accounts.
"On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer," the April 11 statement read. "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."
However, in the months ahead of his death, Simpson had refuted claims about his health, including rumors he was in hospice. "Hospice? Hospice? You talkin' 'bout hospice?" he said in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, in February. "No, I'm not in any hospice, I don't who put that out there."
Following the news of Simpson's death, many involved in the 1995 murder trial—of which he was infamously acquitted of the charges—reacted with their thoughts on the former athlete and his legacy. (Simpson was later found liable for Brown and Goldman's deaths in civil court.)
Marcia Clark—the lead prosecutor during his 1995 trial— expressed in a statement to Entertainment Tonight, "I send my condolences to Mr. Simpson's family."
Meanwhile, Caitlyn Jenner—who was previously married to Nicole's close friend Kris Jenner—shared a simple, biting response to learning of Simpson's death, writing on X, "Good Riddance."
For more about Simpson's life, keep reading.
Simpson was born in 1947 and started his football career at the City College of San Francisco. After playing for two seasons and being named a junior college All-American, Simpson transferred and started playing for the University of Southern California's Trojans in 1967.
The following year, he won the Heisman Trophy.
Following his college football career, the running back entered the NFL and played for the Buffalo Bills from 1969 to 1977.
In addition to playing football, Simpson explored acting—including in the movie The Klansman. He later appeared in The Towering Inferno, Killer Force and The Cassandra Crossing.
Simpson attended the Cannes Film Festival with producer Patrick Wachsberger in 1975.
Simpson was married to Marguerite Whitley from 1967 to 1979. Together, they welcomed three children: Arnelle, Jason and Aaren. Aaren died following a drowning accident in 1979.
The family is pictured at their home in 1975.
Following his near-decade with the Bills, the athlete joined the San Francisco 49ers, where he played for a two seasons before retiring from football.
Simpson pictured here posing with his Ferrari at Warner Bros Studios.
After playing the game, Simpson became a sports analyst. Here, he can be seen covering a game for NBC in 1980.
Simpson married Nicole Brown in 1985, the same year they welcomed their first child together, Sydney, and Simpson was inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Here, the pair is pictured at an Oscars viewing party in 1983.
Simpson and Brown also welcomed a son, Justin, in 1988. The couple divorced four years later in 1992.
Here the family is pictured at the Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult premiere in 1994—the same year that she was killed.
In June 1994, Simpson was accused of murdering Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. He took off in a white Bronco, and millions of people watched the televised police chase.
Simpson's 1994 mug shot after his arrest.
Simpson went to trial in 1995, and the case captured the nation. He pleaded not guilty and was acquitted on all counts.
He was found liable for Brown and Goldman's deaths in 1997 in a civil lawsuit filed by their families and was ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages, according to The New York Times.
Simpson would make headlines again when he penned the book If I Did It. The Goldman family later obtained the rights to the manuscript as a way to help satisfy the amount Simpson owed them, CBS News reported, and the subhead Confessions of the Killer was added.
However, these wouldn't be Simpson's last trials. In 2008, he was found guilty of armed robbery, kidnapping and 10 additional charges that were in regard to a memorabilia robbery in Las Vegas, and he was sentenced to nine to 33 years in prison, per The New York Times. Simpson, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, served nine years in prison before he was released on parole.
Simpson speaking at a parole hearing.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (87344)
Related
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Ohio Environmentalists, Oil Companies Battle State Over Dumping of Fracking Wastewater
- Shell Agrees to Pay $10 Million After Permit Violations at its Giant New Plastics Plant in Pennsylvania
- DeSantis Promised in 2018 That if Elected Governor, He Would Clean Up Florida’s Toxic Algae. The Algae Are Still Blooming
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- Clean Energy Experts Are Stretched Too Thin
- A Pennsylvania Community Wins a Reprieve on Toxic Fracking Wastewater
- Love of the Land and Community Inspired the Montana Youths Whose Climate Lawsuit Against the State Goes to Court This Week
- Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
- Why Matt Damon Negotiated Extensively With Wife Luciana in Couples Therapy Over Oppenheimer Role
Ranking
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Why Julie Bowen Is Praising Single Modern Family Co-Star Sofia Vergara After Joe Manganiello Split
- Emily Blunt Reveals Cillian Murphy’s Strict Oppenheimer Diet
- Jamie Lee Curtis Has the Ultimate Response to Lindsay Lohan Giving Birth to Her First Baby
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Save 70% On Coach Backpacks for School, Travel, Commuting, and More
- As Water Levels Drop, the Risk of Arsenic Rises
- North West Meets Chilli Months After Recreating TLC's No Scrubs Video Styles With Friends
Recommendation
Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
Ariana Grande Joined by Wicked Costar Jonathan Bailey and Andrew Garfield at Wimbledon
Love Seen Lashes From RHONY Star Jenna Lyons Will Have You Taking a Bite Out of Summer
Q&A: The Truth About Those Plastic Recycling Labels
Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
An Agricultural Drought In East Africa Was Caused by Climate Change, Scientists Find
Save 41% On Philosophy Dry Shampoo and Add Volume and Softness to Your Hair
South Korea Emerges As Key Partner for America’s Energy Transition