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Orenthal James Simpson, the former football player and actor made famous by the controversial acquittal of his ex-wife’s murder, has died.
His family announced it today on the X social network. “10. On April our father Orenthal James Simpson succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. His family asks that you respect their wishes for privacy and grace during this transitional period.” It’s on OJ Simpson’s account.
His professional sports career spanned from 1969 to 1979, during which he participated in five All-Star games, and following his career he became a member of the American Football Hall of Fame and continued to be active as a commentator and actor.
But he is most remembered by most people because of his lawsuits. In 1994, he was accused of murdering two people, his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her boyfriend, waiter Ronald Goldman. The case received extraordinary media attention and divided American society. The reason was the opinion that there was a racist motive behind the conviction. The trial was even dubbed the “lawsuit of the century.”
More than half of all Americans watched him live on television, and thousands of his supporters took to the streets. He was initially acquitted in the case when his defense attorney managed to convince the jury that the arrest was made by manipulated racist police. But following two years, it was decided in a civil proceeding that he must pay the survivors $33 million because he was responsible for the death.
Lawsuits and crime continued to accompany Simpson in his life. In 2007, he was convicted of 12 different crimes, including robbery and kidnapping. He was sentenced to 33 years in prison, but was released following nine years.
