O.J. Simpson shows a new pair of gloves which prosecutors had him put on for the jury during his double murder trial in Los Angeles in June 1995. The gloves were the same type found at the Bundy murder scene and the O.J. Simpson estate.
U.S.
Updated 2:18 PM EDT, Thu April 11, 2024
O.J. Simpson, the former NFL star and broadcaster whose athletic achievements and fame were eclipsed by his 1995 acquittal in the brutal killings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, has died of cancer, his family announced Thursday. He was 76.
While Simpson was a highly decorated athlete — winning the 1968 Heisman Trophy as a senior running back at the University of Southern California before playing for the NFL's Buffalo Bills and later the San Francisco 49ers — he became perhaps one of the most controversial figures of the late 20th century after he was charged with the murders of his former wife and her friend.
A jury found him not guilty in a trial that saw America's fascination with celebrity collide with its centuries long struggle with race, as well as issues of class, policing and criminal justice. Those themes — and the judge's decision to allow the trial to be televised — coalesced in what many called a "Trial of the Century" that held the country's attention in a vise grip for nearly nine months before evolving into a cultural touchstone.
Simpson sits on the bench during a University of Southern California football game in 1967.
Simpson runs with the ball during a USC game in 1967.
Simpson competes during a track event at the University of Southern California in 1967.
Simpson gets ice applied to his bandaged right foot from his wife Marguerite in 1967.
Simpson is carried off the field by hundreds of cheering USC fans after the team defeated UCLA in November 1967.
Simpson poses with the Heisman Memorial Trophy after receiving the award in 1968.
Simpson is brought down by another football player during the Hula Bowl in 1969.
Simpson poses for a photo with his daughter Arnelle in 1969.
Simpson gets the "instant sweat" treatment from a makeup crew on the set of the TV series "Medical Center" in 1969.
Simpson carries the ball during a Buffalo Bills game. The team took him as the first overall draft pick in 1969.
Simpson walks onto the field prior to a game in 1972.
Simpson poses for a portrait with his wife Marguerite, daughter Arnelle and son Jason in 1973.
Simpson carries the ball against the New York Jets in 1973. During that season, he broke the single season NFL rushing record with a total of 2,003 yards.
Simpson acts in a scene from the 1974 film "The Klansman" with Lola Falana and Richard Burton.
Simpson looks on from the sidelines of a Buffalo Bills game in 1975.
Simpson runs with the ball in 1975.
Simpson talks with coach Jim Ringo before a workout in 1976.
Simpson had an extensive career in Hollywood, including this 1976 film "The Cassandra Crossing."
Simpson and LeVar Burton take a break during filming of the hit 1977 television series "Roots."
Simpson acts in a scene from the 1978 film "Capricorn One."
Simpson poses for a photo on the set of "Saturday Night Live" with actresses Gilda Radner, left, and Jane Curtin in 1978.
Simpson, playing for the San Francisco 49ers, walks off the field after his final NFL game in December 1979.
After his lauded career as a running back, Simpson became a sports broadcaster. Here he is seen in the booth with fellow ABC "Monday Night Football" announcers Joe Namath, left, and Frank Gifford in September 1985.
Simpson is seen with his wife Nicole in 1985.
Simpson watches a Thanksgiving Day football game with United States troops deployed oversees during Operation Desert Shield in 1991.
Simpson and his ex-wife Nicole pose for photos in 1994 with several of his children at the premiere of "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult," in which Simpson starred.
Simpson performs in a scene from "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" with Leslie Nielsen, left, and George Kennedy.
Al Cowlings drives a white Ford Bronco with Simpson inside as California police officers chase the pair on the 91 Freeway on June 17, 1994. Five days prior, Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Lyle Goldman were found stabbed to death. Simpson was questioned the next day and then charged with two counts of murder with special circ*mstances. He did not surrender and was declared a fugitive. A suicide letter was found shortly before Simpson was discovered to be riding in Cowlings' car.
After a 60-mile slow speed chase, Simpon and Cowling ended up at Simpson's Brentwood, California, mansion where he surrendered to authorities.
Simpson is shown on a TV in an electronics store in Tampa, Florida, while people shop on June 20, 1994.
Simpson consults with Robert Kardashian, center, and Alvin Michelson, left, during a hearing about Kardashian taking the witness stand in Simpson's murder trial in May 1995.
Simpson is seen on the front page of The New York Daily News on October 3, 1995. Later that day, the jury returned a not guilty verdict after less than four hours of deliberations.
Attorney Johnnie Cochran, Jr. holds Simpson as the not guilty verdict is read in the courtroom on October 3, 1995.
Simpson is surrounded by the media as he plays a round of golf in Surrey, England, in May 1996.
Simpson looks back into the courtroom gallery during the fourth day of jury selection in his road rage trial in Miami in October 2001. He was found not guilty.
Simpson signs autographs outside a Dade County courthouse in Miami in 2001.
Simpson is seen with girlfriend Christy Prody at a party in Miami in 2002.
Simpson is swarmed by the media in 2005 as he arrives for the funeral of lawyer Johnnie Cochran, Jr., who represented Simpson in his murder trial.
Simpson listens as his daughter Arnelle testifies during his parole hearing in July 2017 in Lovelock, Nevada. He was granted parole later that day. Simpson had been serving time for his involvement in an armed robbery in Las Vegas.
Simpson signs documents at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada in September 2017, before being released.
Simpson poses with fans prior to a Buffalo Bills game in 2021.
Simpson is seen in Las Vegas in November 2023.
