11th April, 2024
Former National Football League (NFL) star player, Orenthal James Simpson, popularly known as O.J. Simpson has died at the age of 76, following a cancer diagnosis.
His family announced his death on Thursday, saying he succumbed to his battle with cancer.
A statement from his family on X reads: “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.”
Born on July 9, 1947, Simpson was an American football running back, actor, and broadcaster. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills, and was regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time.
Once a popular figure with the American public, Simpson’s professional success was later overshadowed by his trial and controversial acquittal for the murders of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994.
He was acquitted in 1995 in a lengthy and internationally publicized trial, but found liable for the deaths three years later in a civil suit from the victims’ families. Prior to his death, Simpson had paid little of the $33.5 million judgment (equivalent to $64 million in 2023).
In 2007, Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and charged with armed robbery and kidnapping. In 2008, he was convicted and sentenced to 33 years imprisonment, with a minimum of nine years without parole.
He served his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center near Lovelock, Nevada. He was granted parole on July 20, 2017, which was the minimum sentence.
He was released on October 1, 2017. In December 2021, Simpson was granted early release from his parole by the Nevada Division of Parole and Probation. He died in 2024 at the age of 76 from prostate cancer.
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