OJ Simpson, the previous American soccer star and Hollywood actor who was cleared of murdering his ex-wife and her buddy in a prison trial, has died aged 76.

He was surrounded by his kids and grandchildren when he “succumbed to his battle with most cancers” on Wednesday, his household stated on X.

Simpson was tried for double homicide in 1995, in what was dubbed the “trial of the century”, which gripped the world.

He was discovered not responsible of killing Nicole Brown Simpson and her buddy Ron Goldman, however was later discovered liable for the deaths in a civil lawsuit.

Simpson was then imprisoned in 2008 for 9 years for armed theft and kidnapping after an incident at a Las Vegas lodge.

Native 10 Information in Nevada reported in February this yr that Simpson was present process therapy for prostate most cancers, however the former NFL working again stated in a video on the time that “all is nicely”.

Posting on X, Simpson laughed as he stated: “I am not in any hospice, I do not know who put that on the market.”

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‘Hospice?’ OJ Simpson speaks in February

Caitlyn Jenner, whose ex-wife Kris Jenner was an in depth buddy of the retired footballer and Ms Brown Simpson, stated bluntly “good riddance” in response to Simpson’s dying.

David Cook dinner, lawyer for Mr Goldman’s household, additionally advised TMZ that Simpson “died with out penance” because the household continues to be owed damages. He added that the Goldmans are exploring their choices on what property they’ll accumulate from Simpson’s property.

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Simpson was acquitted after a 1995 prison trial watched by hundreds of thousands worldwide, the place Simpson famously tried on a pair of blood-stained gloves allegedly discovered on the scene of the crime.

The gloves seemed to be too small, main defence lawyer Johnnie Cochran to say: “If it does not match, you need to acquit.”

Alan Dershowitz, one other of Simpson’s attorneys on the time, stated the defence was “a nightmare staff” and that he didn’t need the previous NFL star to take the stand.

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OJ: ‘It was a nightmare staff’

“Finally it was the glove” that persuaded Simpson to not communicate on the trial, Mr Dershowitz advised Sky Information.

“When he was in a position to go in entrance of the jury and present them that the glove did not match, that led him to conclude, and he made the choice, to not take the stand.

“Within the civil case, he took the stand and was instantly discovered liable.”

OJ Simpson grimaces as he tries on one of the leather gloves prosecutors say he wore the night his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were murdered.
Pic: AP
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OJ Simpson tries on one of many leather-based gloves allegedly discovered on the scene of the 1994 killings. Pic: AP

O.J. Simpson appears in a courtroom for his preliminary hearing in 2007. 
Pic:AP
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OJ Simpson seems in a courtroom for his preliminary listening to in 2007. Pic: AP

Nicknamed “The Juice”, Orenthal James Simpson rose to fame as a sports activities star within the Buffalo Payments staff.

He was enrolled within the NFL’s corridor of fame and was the primary working again to achieve 2,000 yards in a season in 1973.

He additionally grew to become referred to as an promoting star, soccer commentator and Hollywood actor, showing in quite a lot of TV and movie roles together with the Bare Gun film sequence.

O.J. Simpson, football player for the Buffalo Bills seen in 1969. (AP Photo)
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OJ Simpson grew to become well-known as a working again for the Buffalo Payments. Pic: AP

O.J. Simpson poses for a photo in 1968
Pic:AP
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Nicknamed ‘The Juice’, Simpson grew to become a star of TV and movie after his NFL profession. Pic: AP

Simpson was charged with two counts of first-degree homicide after Ms Brown Simpson and Mr Goldman have been stabbed to dying at her Los Angeles residence on 12 June 1994.

After he was accused of the killings, Simpson wrote a letter which insisted he was harmless, stated goodbye to buddies and made “a final want” to “depart my kids in peace”.

On 17 June that yr, his lawyer Robert Shapiro feared Simpson was suicidal, whereas a white Ford Bronco carrying the previous footballer led police on a 60-mile chase by means of Los Angeles.

OJ Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson in 1993.
Pic: AP
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OJ Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson in 1993. They divorced in 1992. Pic: AP

A white Ford Bronco, driven by Al Cowlings and carrying OJ Simpson, being trailed by Los Angeles police on 17 June , 1994. Pic: AP
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A white Ford Bronco carrying OJ Simpson was trailed by Los Angeles police on 17 June 1994. Pic: AP

Simpson was acquitted of double homicide on 3 October 1995.

A civil wrongful dying lawsuit later discovered him chargeable for the 2 deaths in 1997. He was ordered to pay $33.5m in damages, however he declared chapter shortly after.

Simpson was later arrested in 2007 for armed theft and kidnapping in a dispute over sports activities memorabilia at a Las Vegas on line casino lodge.

O.J. Simpson, center, is taken from the Las Vegas Police Investigative Services Division in Las Vegas, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007. (AP Photo/John Locher)
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OJ Simpson being taken from the Las Vegas Police Investigative Companies Division, 16 September 2007. Pic: AP Picture / John Locher

Sky Information’ Steve Bennedik remembers how Simpson’s trial was lined

It was the primary few weeks of 1995 when Sky Information’ stay protection of the OJ Simpson courtroom case bought beneath means. Every night we confirmed the trial and invited questions. In these days, the principle type of correspondence was by letter.

However there was additionally a brand new digital technique rising, known as e mail. And the primary of those had the straightforward, however deflating, sentence: “Which one is OJ?”

We requested ourselves: Is our viewers able to observe the story of a really American tragedy unfold on British TV? We determined to keep it up.

In distinction, OJ Simpson was a family identify within the US. A lot greater than an ex-football star. However the shock of this icon being arrested for homicide, the weird Bronco freeway chase, the high-profile celeb defence staff, and in the end the “did he do it?” query had common attraction.

Though the case stuttered by means of till October, the weak Choose Lance Ito was obsequious to attorneys’ calls for for delays, however the curiosity amongst Sky Information viewers surged and remained undimmed.

Because the courtroom digital camera panned to the state of California seal, signalling one other adjournment, we and little question the viewer sighed.

Extra behind-the-scenes authorized wrangling, however we had an ace up our sleeve – Professor Gary Solis. Gary is a Vietnam veteran, former army choose advocate, with alma maters together with George Washington College and the London College of Economics.

On the time, he was in London and prepared to surrender his evenings. He calmly steered our presenters, Laurie and Vivien, and our usually puzzled viewers by means of the complexities of the Californian authorized system and have become a agency favorite with the newsroom and the general public alike.

The courtroom characters emerged. Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden for the prosecution, and the “Dream Group” defence – Jonnie Cochran, F Lee Bailey, Alan Dershowitz and Robert Kardashian, whose kids would go on to outshine his fame.

It was compelling courtroom drama, but it surely was additionally the very tragic story of two younger individuals who’d been savagely attacked and murdered, with their households devastated by the loss, and suffering from the lingering backwards and forwards courtroom battle.

The proceedings had lasted months, however the jury reached their verdict in just some hours and once they returned to the courtroom to ship it, an early night viewers within the UK was hanging on each second. After which it was over. OJ was a free man.

The Individuals of the State of California v Orenthal James Simpson light as a reminiscence, flickering again to life with the information of his dying.

He was sentenced to as much as 33 years in jail in 2008. After 9 years in a Nevada jail, he was launched on parole in 2017 after which discharged from parole for good behaviour in 2021.

Since then, Simpson often commented on politics and sports activities on social media. He lived in a gated neighborhood in Las Vegas the place he performed golf.

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