OJ Simpson's cause of death revealed as prostate cancer, longtime attorney says ex-footballer thought he 'had beaten it'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The cause of death of OJ Simpson, who breathed his last at the age of 76 on April 10, has been disclosed. The former Hall of Fame football player and acquitted murderer succumbed to metastatic prostate cancer, his longtime lawyer Malcolm LaVergne said, People reports.
Simpson's family announced his death on X on April 11, one day after he died. Simpson had been battling cancer since announcing the news in May 2023. Days before his death, Simpson was released from hospice and sent home where he died surrounded by his close ones.
On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.
— O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) April 11, 2024
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.
-The Simpson Family
What did OJ Simpson's lawyer say?
"I was pretty certain it was prostate cancer; ultimately, that was the cause," LaVergne said. "He thought it had beaten it," he added. "I thought this was done, but you know how cancers go. They come back, and they come back with a vengeance," he continued.
Inside OJ Simpson's controversial career
Simpson was a Heisman Trophy recipient and the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season in 1973. Despite his record-breaking success on the field, Simpson became more known for his infamous double-murder acquittal during what was dubbed the “Trial of the Century.”
Simpson was tried in connection with the brutal 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman at her Los Angeles, California home. The 11-month-trial was rife with courtroom drama as well as bombshell revelations about the controversial LAPD detective who investigated the scene. In 1995, Simpson was acquitted in the double-murder case.
The Brown and Goldman families sued OJ Simpson
The Brown and Goldman families subsequently sued Simpson for wrongful death and won the case. In 1997, he was asked to pay $33.5 million to the families. At the time of his death, he had not made that payment in full to the Goldmans, according to their lawyer.
“He [still] owes on the current status of the judgment,” David Cook, who represents Ron’s father, Fred Goldman, previously told the outlet. He noted that due to Simpson’s failure to pay the family, the money owed with interest is now more than $114 million as of this year.
Simpson was cremated on April 17 at Palm Mortuary in downtown Las Vegas, LaVergne previously confirmed to The Associated Press. His passing was met with mixed reaction -- some in the football community honored the athlete while others remembered Simpson as a monster.
