A murder case in the 1990s made him world famous. OJ Simpson has died at the age of 76.
Former American football star OJ Simpson has passed away. Simpson died of cancer on Wednesday at the age of 76, his family announced on the online site X on Thursday. The news of Simpson's death was confirmed by his lawyer to the online portal “TMZ”.
Family said Simpson was surrounded by his children and grandchildren when he died. “During this transition, his family asks that their wishes for privacy and dignity be respected.” Hall said Simpson's on-field accomplishments will be preserved in the archives of the Ohio State Football Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted in 1985. Legendary President Jim Porter.
A successful NFL career
Orenthal James – “OJ” – Simpson was born on July 9, 1947 in San Francisco. His athletic prowess was evident at an early age and he soon excelled in football and track and field at the prestigious University of Southern California. The running back was nicknamed “The Juice” because of Simpson's agility. As a professional, he made it in the NFL Football League, winning for the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills in the late 1970s and setting records for longest runs and most touchdowns.
After his career ended, the charismatic Simpson became a popular figure, starring in blockbusters like “The Towering Inferno” and comedies like “The Naked Gun” and commentating on sports events. In his personal life, Simpson had to deal with a stroke of fate when his third child, daughter Aaron, drowned in a pool in 1979. Two years later, in 1967, Simpson and his wife, Marguerite, divorced. In 1985 he married Nicole Brown, with whom he had two children. The couple divorced in 1992.
Fantastic murder investigation
Anyone who lived through the 1990s probably remembers the OJ Simpson murder trial. Simpson had to defend himself against murder charges in 1995. The trial was televised live and was a spectacle watched around the world.
In 1994, Simpson's ex-wife and her boyfriend were found dead, and Simpson was suspected and charged with murder. First, he engaged in a live-televised chase with police that drew millions of viewers — and then an eleven-month battle with the justice system over his innocence that became a focal point of the debate over discrimination in America.
Simpson was acquitted, but in a later civil case he was found liable for her death and ordered to pay $33.5 million (about €30.85 million) in damages. A Simpsons book about the case, with the provocative title “If I Had It,” caused a frenzy of pranks.
Nine years in prison
Due to another incident, Simpson was imprisoned. In 2008, he was sentenced to 33 years in prison in the US state of Nevada for armed robbery and assault. In a hotel room in Las Vegas, he and his associates pressured two fan collectors to hand over personal memorabilia. He was released from prison after nine years.
Since then, Simpson, a recreational golfer, has been living out of the public eye in Las Vegas. He sometimes spoke in public – but he didn't want to talk about the murders and the trial. In February, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. OJ Simpson has died at the age of 76. (APA/ed.)
