O.J. Simpson dead at age 76 after battle with cancer

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Former football great, O.J. Simpson who was accused of and ultimately acquitted of the brutal 1994 slayings of his ex-wife and her friend, has died, according to his family.

Simpson was 76 years old.

A statement from 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 May 2023, Simpson posted a video on X, (previously known as Twitter), revealing that he had recently "caught cancer" and "had to do the whole chemo thing."

O.J. Simpson

Simpson said, "It looks like I beat it." However, he did not specify the type of cancer he had.

Again in February 2024, a Las Vegas television station reported that Simpson, then 76, was again undergoing treatment for an unspecified cancer, according to ABC News.

That day Simpson posted a video on X denying rumors that he was in hospice care, though he did not otherwise confirm or deny reports that he was ill.

Simpson thanked those people who reached out to him in another video update on X adding "My health is good. I mean, obviously, I'm dealing with some issues but I think I'm just about over it."

Simpson was nicknamed "The Juice" and broke records as a college and professional football player.

Simpson was also a sportscaster, movie and television actor, and corporate spokesman, most notably for Hertz rental cars.

Everything changed when Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, were brutally stabbed to death outside of the former's home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood on June 12, 1994. Within days, police announced their intention to arrest the former football star for the murders.

Millions of Americans watched five days later as Simpson's white Ford Bronco along with longtime friend Al Cowlings at the wheel and Simpson in the back seat with a handgun, threatening to kill himself led police on a 60-mile, low-speed televised chase through Los Angeles that lasted some two hours.

Simpson eventually surrendered to police and stood trial for the murders.

11 months later, Simpson was acquitted in a trial that was televised daily and became an international sensation.

Twelve years later, Simpson was arrested in September 2007 after he led a group of men into a Las Vegas hotel and casino to steal, at gunpoint, what he claims was his own sports memorabilia.

He ended up being charged with a number of felony counts, including kidnapping and armed robbery. The following year, he was found guilty and sentenced to up to 33 years in prison. Simpson was released on parole on Oct. 1, 2017.

O.J. Simpson is survived by four children: Arnelle and Jason, from his first marriage, and Sydney and Justin, from his marriage to Nicole Brown Simpson.

Source ABC News

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