O.J. Simpson passed away at the age of 76 today after a battle with cancer.
His family shared the breaking news a short time ago on X.
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. As TMZ notes, news of Simpson’s battle with cancer first emerged in February but details were cloudy at the time. Moreover, Simpson claimed back in 2023 that he had “caught” some form of cancer but believed he had beaten it. Few individuals have ever experienced the fall from grace O.J. Simpson experienced in his years alive.
Simpson emerged into the spotlight as an all-American running back for the USC Trojans and won the Heisman trophy his senior season in 1968, along with the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award. After graduating, he was selected by the Buffalo Bills as the number one overall pick in the 1969 draft. Simpson spent the next nine seasons with the team before spending the last two with the San Francisco 49ers. He retired as the 2nd all-time leading rusher in NFL history (he is now 21st). He was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
He then embarked on a movie career, starring in all three Naked Gun movies alongside the legendary Leslie Nielsen. Simpson also worked as a commentator for Monday Night Football and The NFL on NBC.
But everything changed forever on June 12, 1994, when his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were found brutally murdered. Five days later, all TVs were focused on the most infamous Bronco chase in American history, when Simpson eventually surrendered to police and was charged with their murders. Simpson was later found liable for the murders in a civil trial and ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages (which he never did).
But Simpson experienced what many consider a bit of karma several years later. In 2007, he was accused of breaking into a Vegas hotel room in an attempt to recover sports memorabilia that he believed had been stolen from him. He confronted the owner with several of his cronies, armed with weapons. On December 5, 2008, Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison with eligibility for parole in nine years. On July 20, 2017, Simpson was granted parole.
He remained in Vegas after getting out of prison where he remained until his death.
