OJ Simpson, NFL player and film actor acquitted of murder, dies aged 76
OJ Simpson has died after being diagnosed with cancer.
OJ Simpson, the former American football player-turned-actor who was acquitted of the murder of his wife and her friend in a widely watched trial in the 1990s, has died at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer, his family have confirmed.
In a statement on Twitter, which was recently rebranded as 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."
Back in February, Simpson shut down reports that he was in a hospice after undergoing chemotherapy for prostate cancer.
"Hey X world, hospice? Hospice? You talking about hospice?" he wrote.
"No, I’m not in any hospice. I don’t know who put that out there," he continued. "I guess it’s like Donald [Trump] says, 'You can’t trust the media.'"
He continued: "In any event, I’m hosting a tonne of friends for the Super Bowl here in Las Vegas. All is well, you know. So take care, have a good Super Bowl weekend."
Born in 1947 in San Francisco, California, Simpson won the Heisman Trophy while at USC, and went on to become one of the most celebrated football players of all time.
He played nine seasons for the Buffalo Bills and two for the San Francisco 49ers, and was the first running back to gain 2,000 yards in a season in 1973.
His sporting achievements played out alongside a successful acting career.
While still at USC, he appeared on Medical Center and starred in a number of films, including The Cassandra Crossing and The Towering Inferno.
After retiring from football, he starred in three Naked Gun movies and the comedy Back to Beach.
However, after his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman were stabbed to death at her Los Angeles home in 1994, Simpson was arrested and charged with two counts of first degree murder.
The eight-month trial that followed was broadcast live around the world, and sparked a media frenzy and public obsession.
Though Simpson was not found guilty of the deaths, three years after his criminal trial he was found liable in a separate civil trial brought by the victims’ families. He was ordered to pay $33.5m in damages.
Simpson later served almost nine years in prison for kidnapping, robbery and other counts after an incident at a Las Vegas hotel room, and was released in 2017.
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
