OJ Simpson, an NFL star player who was later acquitted of murdering his ex-wife in a culture-defining murder trial, died at his home in Las Vegas on Wednesday, according to his family.
Simpson was battling prostate cancer.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” his family wrote on X/Twitter on Thursday. “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,”
In the 1990's, he became arguably the most infamous man in America after he was charged in the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, a waiter, who were stabbed to death. The trial dominated the news for months, sparking continous debate about fame, domestic abuse and racist treatment of Black Americans by the police.
He was ultimately acquitted — although later served nine years in prison for armed robbery, in an unrelated case.
In May 2023 Simpson shared in a social media post that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and that he had been using medical marijuana to help with his symptoms.
“I had to do the whole chemo thing … I started smoking a couple of puffs a day, and I only had nausea twice. I’m over the chemo," Simpson said. "I only got nauseous on two occasions. … The pot really helped me with the unfortunate side of catching cancer."
