O.J. Simpson has died aged 76 with the family of the former NFL star revealing he passed away on April 10 after a battle with cancer surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
Former NFL star O.J. Simpson has died aged 76 after a battle with cancer, his family have announced.
A statement posted on his social media accounts read: “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.”
Simpson had reportedly been battling prostate cancer. Back in February, he shut down reports he was in a hospice, declaring on social media: “Hey X world, hospice? Hospice? You talking about hospice? No, I’m not in any hospice. I don’t know who put that out there. I guess it’s like Donald [Trump] says, ‘You can’t trust the media.’
“In any event, I’m hosting a tonne of friends for the Super Bowl here in Las Vegas. All is well, you know. So take care, have a good Super Bowl weekend.”
Simpson was regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time after spending a decade in the NFL playing for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers. After his football career, Simpson moved into acting. He appeared in various films and TV shows.
However, in 1994, he was accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman after they were found stabbed to death outside her Los Angeles home.
Simpson pleaded not guilty and after a high-profile trial that lasted nearly a year, he was acquitted by a jury. A civil lawsuit from the victims’ families found him responsible for wrongful death and battery, ordering him to pay $33.5 million in damages. However, US laws meant he did not have to pay them back using his pension fund.
In 2007, he was convicted after leading five men into an armed robbery in Las Vegas. He was released in 2017 on parole after being originally sentenced to 33 years in prison.
In his later years, Simpson regularly documented his life on social media with videos both from prison and later after his release. After being released, he started a lavish new life in Las Vegas which was generally lived out of the public eye aside from his social media updates.
In his last post, he was shown wearing a San Francisco 49ers jersey and showing support for his former team ahead of the Super Bowl. However, he fought health struggles in recent years prior to his death.
Last July, he underwent emergency heart surgery. It was reported he had a stent placed in his heart after his health deteriorated as doctors inserted the device to keep his arteries clear.
Simpson had three children from his marriage to Marguerite L. Whitley. Arnelle, Jason and Aaren. However, Aaren tragically drowned in the family’s swimming pool when he was just two years old.
He also shared two children with white Nicole, Sydney and Justin. Their marriage lasted seven years before their divorce in 1989, and she was murdered in 1994 before Simpson was acquitted of her death in what was dubbed ‘trial of the century’.
Simpson’s former manager, Norman Pardo, addressed his worsening health last year. Pardo told RadarOnline.com: “The doctors want him to rest at home because there isn’t much they can do for him.
“Now he can’t even finish a round of golf – I don’t even think he golfs anymore because he can’t even finish a half a round of golf two months ago when I was talking to him.”
