Former NFL player OJ Simpson, the man famously acquitted of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, has died aged 76.
Simpson, who died in Las Vegas, had been battling prostate cancer.
In a statement on X, his family said: “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.”
In 2023 Simpson said on X that he had been diagnosed with a type of cancer and in February he said he was undergoing chemotherapy for prostate cancer.
Simpson played 10 years in the NFL and became hugely popular with fans.
After his football career Simpson turned his attention to acting, starring in the Naked Gun film series alongside Leslie Nielsen.
However, while he soared to stardom Simpson’s home life was far from cheerful.
After divorcing his first wife in 1979, he married waitress Nicole Brown, who later accused him of vicious spousal abuse that included verbal taunts and physical beatings.
The couple divorced in 1992. Two years later, on June 12, 1994, Nicole and her friend, Ron Goldman, were found stabbed to death outside her Brentwood home.
Nicole had been stabbed so ferociously that her head was nearly decapitated.
Simpson – who shared two young children with Nicole – was arrested for the murders a few days later.
After he was charged, LA police pursued Simpson and his friend, former Buffalo Bills teammate Al Cowlings, in a white Bronco down a California freeway. Live footage of the car chase became one of the most-watched television events in history.
His murder trial the following year was a tabloid and media sensation, as the former football star’s “Dream Team” of high-profile lawyers tried to refute a seemingly damning stack of evidence.
Prosecutors painted Simpson as a scorned lover who murdered Nicole and Goldman in a jealous rage two years after she filed for divorce.
The blockbuster showdown became the stuff of legend when Simpson struggled to try on a blood-stained glove, prompting defense attorney Johnny Cochran to famously quip, “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.
Simpson’s acquittal on October 3, 1995 drew a mix of outrage, shock, and celebration across the US.
The case was a humiliating loss for prosecutors who were expected to net a conviction for the struggling Los Angeles DA’s office.
Despite avoiding criminal charges, Simpson was ordered to pay the famlies of Brown and Goldman more than $33 million in civil proceedings for wrongful death and battery.
In 2008 Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery after breaking into a Las Vegas hotel room in an attempt to recover sports memorabilia he thought had been stolen from him.
He was released from prison in 2017.
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