Until 1994, OJ Simpson was renowned for his exceptional skills on the football field and later found success in both the film and television industry.
These achievements led to Simpson experiencing a meteoric rise, which abruptly came to a halt following his implication in the brutal murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.
With the assistance of the Kardashian family patriarch, who served as his legal counsel, Simpson was acquitted of the murder charges in 1995. However, the trial tarnished his once-gleaming public image irreparably.
Subsequently, Simpson’s reputation continued to deteriorate as he engaged in a series of legal troubles, including instances of battery, reckless behavior in protected wildlife areas in Florida, and a peculiar robbery in Las Vegas. This particular incident, where Simpson claimed he was trying to retrieve his sports memorabilia, resulted in a lengthy prison sentence of nearly nine years.
Following the infamous trial, Simpson delved into writing and published a book titled “If I Did It,” penned by US author Pablo Fenjves based on interviews with Simpson. The book delves into a hypothetical scenario where Simpson discusses how the murders might have transpired if he were indeed responsible, portraying a chilling narrative of events on the night of June 12, 1994.
Despite vehemently denying any involvement in the murders, Simpson faced public backlash, leading to the initial rejection of “If I Did It” by HarperCollins in 2006. Eventually, the rights to the book were awarded to the Goldman family, who rebranded it as “If I Did It: Confessions of a Killer.”
The aftermath of the trial saw Simpson’s life becoming a subject of intense media scrutiny, with numerous TV adaptations and documentaries exploring the case. Notably, the documentary mini-series “OJ: Made in America” and FX’s miniseries “The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story” garnered significant attention for their portrayal of the trial.
Despite his acquittal, Simpson’s legal woes persisted, leading to multiple arrests and encounters with the law, including charges of armed robbery and kidnapping in Las Vegas in 2007. Found guilty on all charges, Simpson served a substantial prison sentence, which he was eventually granted parole from in 2017.
In the years that followed, Simpson remained a controversial figure, engaging with the public through social media platforms and occasionally sparking outrage with his posts. His unexpected death from prostate cancer was announced by his family on Thursday, April 11.