Former American football star OJ Simpson has died of complications from cancer at the age of 76.
This former NFL player is remembered for the so-called “trial of the century” after he was accused of the brutal murders of his ex-wife and a friend that captured the attention of millions of people.
“On April 10, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.” wrote his family on the social network X.
Despite his controversial life, OJ Simpson was considered a god in the United States and his fame did not fade when he gave up his career and entered the world of entertainment, where he worked as a host and actor.
However, the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and a friend, Ron Goldman, brought him from Olympus to the dock in 1994.
“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. “During this time of transition, his family asks that you respect his wishes for privacy and grace,” the family’s message said.
OJ had two children with Nicole Brown, but was previously married and had three children.
He divorced his second wife in 1992 and two years later Nicole and Ron Goldman were found dead outside their Los Angeles residence.
Therefore, Simpson was considered the prime suspect in the murders.
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 respect their desire for privacy and grace.
-The Simpsons Family
— OJ Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) April 11, 2024
A jury found him not guilty, but a civil court found him guilty of the murders and forced him to pay $33.5 million in damages, but he managed to evade this amount and this amount was never paid.
Simpson couldn’t avoid bars because he was arrested in Las Vegas in 2007 for kidnapping and robbing two sports memorabilia collectors at gunpoint.
In this way, he was sentenced to 33 years in prison, but only spent nine years in prison and was released on parole in 2017.
His path to superstardom
OJ Simpson was born on July 9, 1947 in San Francisco. When he was five years old, his father abandoned the family and left him in the care of his mother in a very poor home.
The difficult living conditions caused his legs to become deformed due to rickets caused by vitamin and calcium deficiency.
Since he had no money for surgery, his mother made him wear rudimentary braces and shoes on the opposite feet to strengthen his legs.
The method worked so well that he was able to run 100 yards (91.4 m) in 9.9 seconds. Simpson was a troubled young man and went to prison at the age of 15 for robbing a liquor store.
However, when he left his confinement, he was greeted by baseball star Willie Mays, who instructed him to stay out of trouble and devote himself entirely to exploiting his talent.
This is how he got into the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1968. In 1973 he was awarded the Most Valuable Player award and in 1985 he was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
The moment he fell from grace
This sports superstar fell from grace after being charged with the murder of his ex-wife and a friend.
During this time, there was always great interest in his name and several productions were made, such as “OJ: Made in America”, an almost eight-hour work about his murder trial, which won the Oscar for best documentary in 2017.
He also had “The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story,” a television miniseries with former star Cuba Gooding Jr. that won multiple Emmy Awards in 2016.
Always a recognized public figure, after retiring from the NFL he began a career as a sports commentator and then focused on Hollywood, where he managed to star in several films such as “Hell in the Tower” and “Capricorn One”. .
He also starred in several commercials for renowned brands with whom he exploited his name through various contracts.
On February 9th of this year, Simpson released a video about
The truth is that OJ Simpson died on April 10 and the family finally confirmed the complex health condition he faced due to this illness that ultimately took his life.
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