O.J. Simpson had everything: sporting glory, Hollywood fame, millions in the bank and a smile that could sell just about anything. Then two people were brutally murdered, his carefully polished public image went up in flames, and America watched one of the most extraordinary criminal trials in history. Simpson was acquitted of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, but a civil jury later found him liable for their deaths. He spent the rest of his life trying to outrun a legacy that had become considerably uglier than his acting career.
Is a prick because…
- Domestic violence: In 1989, Simpson pleaded no contest to spousal battery after an incident in which Nicole was beaten and left bruised. Police records documented her fear and repeated calls for help. He received probation, counselling and community service, with no jail time.
- The murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman: Nicole and Ron were found stabbed to death outside her Los Angeles home in June 1994. Simpson was charged with their murders and acquitted in 1995. Two years later, a civil jury found him liable for their deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages.
- The Bronco chase: Rather than surrender quietly when police came to arrest him, Simpson fled in a white Ford Bronco driven by his friend Al Cowlings. The slow-speed chase was broadcast live across America, turning a double-murder investigation into a national television spectacle.
- The If I Did It book: In 2006, Simpson planned to release a book and television interview titled If I Did It, describing hypothetically how he would have committed the murders. The project provoked widespread outrage and was initially cancelled. The Goldman family later obtained the rights to the book as part of its efforts to collect the civil judgment.
- The Las Vegas robbery: In 2007, Simpson led a group of men into a hotel room to take sports memorabilia from dealers at gunpoint. He claimed he was simply retrieving his own property. A jury convicted him of armed robbery, kidnapping and other offences in 2008. He was sentenced to up to 33 years in prison.
- The arrogance: Even after his criminal conviction, Simpson continued to behave like a celebrity who believed the rules were for everyone else. He served nine years before being released on parole in 2017.
Is not a prick because…
- Football career: There is no denying his sporting achievements. Simpson was one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, won the Heisman Trophy in 1968 and became the first player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a 14-game season.
- Entertainment career: He appeared in films including The Naked Gun and became a familiar face in American advertising and television. His comic timing was considerably better than his judgement.
- His murder acquittal: Simpson was found not guilty in the criminal trial. Whatever people believe about the evidence, he was not convicted of the murders, and that distinction matters.
O.J. Simpson died in April 2024, aged 76, after battling prostate cancer. He left behind an extraordinary sporting record, a criminal conviction for armed robbery and a legacy forever associated with the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The courtroom acquittal did not restore the reputation he had spent decades building. It merely ensured that the argument would continue long after he was gone.
