O.J. Simpson dies of cancer at age 76

O.J. Simpson, the former NFL star who was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and her friend in a televised trial that gripped the nation, has died of cancer at age 76, according to his family.

“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren,” the family said in a statement posted to X. “During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”

Reports circulated in February that Simpson had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and was in hospice care as he underwent chemotherapy. Simpson denied that he was in hospice in a video posted to X, but did not address whether he or not he’d been diagnosed with cancer.

“Hospice? Hospice? You talking ‘bout hospice?” Simpson said in the video with a laugh, adding that he doesn’t know who started the rumors. 

Orenthal James Simpson played 11 seasons in the National Football League, known as “The Juice” to his fans, but his sports legacy took a backseat in the 1990s after his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson was killed.

Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman were found stabbed to death outside of her Los Angeles home on June 12, 1994.

When Los Angeles Police officers went to Simpson’s home to speak to him about the murders, Simpson did not answer the door but officers noticed blood on the door of his vehicle.

Once a revered athlete, Simpson went from a Hall of Fame icon to a murder suspect.

Days later, officials charged Simpson with the murders and he attempted to evade arrest, resulting in an infamous hourslong police chase along Southern California’s highways in Simpson’s white Ford Bronco.

Simpson’s case went to trial in 1995 and was broadcast to millions of viewers across the nation. He was acquitted of both murders in a controversial verdict. Two years later, he was found civilly liable for the double homicide.

Despite his acquittal, many still believed Simpson was guilty, a belief bolstered by a court ordering him to pay $33 million to Goldman’s family — which was never paid in full.

Fred Goldman, Ronald’s father, spoke to NBC News by phone Thursday and described Simpson’s death was “no great loss.”

“The only thing I have to say is it’s just further reminder of Ron being gone all these years,” he said. “It’s no great loss to the world. It’s a further reminder of Ron’s being gone.”

In 2007, Simpson led an armed robbery attempt of a sports memorabilia dealer in Las Vegas. He argued in court that he was recovering his own stolen items, but his defense failed to sway the jury.

He was convicted and sentenced to 33-years in prison, of which he served only nine before he was released on parole.

Simpson spoke to The Associated Press by phone in 2019, telling them that he was healthy and happy living in Las Vegas. He maintained that he didn’t believe his conviction was fair.

“I believe in the legal system and I honored it,” Simpson said. “I served my time.”

Simpson was born in San Fransisco and raised in public housing, going to a local college before transferring to the University of Southern California. He was part of the school’s national championship win in 1967 and earned the Heisman Trophy the next year.

He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1969 as a No.1 overall pick for the team.