OJ Simpson’s most noteworthy moments: From trial of the century to 'If I did it' memoir

By Poulami Sengupta
Published on : 05:50 PST, Apr 12, 2024

OJ Simpson who died on April 10 at 76, had a series of legal run-ins after he was acquitted of killing his wife and her friend in a trial that ended in 1995 (Lee Celano/WireImage and X/OJ Simpson)

6 memorable moments from OJ Simpson’s life

LOVELOCK, NV - JULY 20: O.J. Simpson attends a parole hearing at Lovelock Correctional Center July 2 — OJ Simpson died on April 10 at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer (Getty Images)

Former NFL star-turned-actor OJ Simpson, who was accused and ultimately acquitted in the killings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman, died on April 10 at the age of 76, after a battle with cancer. The athlete lived a storeyed life dotted with multiple controversial moments. Here are six such memorable events from Simpson's life that defined the athlete's career.

1. Bronco chase

LOS ANGELES - JUNE 17: Motorists wave as police cars pursue the Ford Bronco (white, R) driven by Al Cowlings, carrying fugitive murder suspect O.J. Simpson, on a 90-minute slow-speed car chase June 17, 1994 on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles, California. Simpson's friend Cowlings eventually drove Simpson home, with Simpson ducked under the back passenger seat, to Brentwood where he surrendered after a stand-off with police. (Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux/Liaison) — OJ Simpson was being driven in the Ford Bronco (Jean-Marc Giboux/Liaison)

After the horrifying murders of OJ Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman in June 1994, the former NFL star was held as a suspect. The Los Angeles Police Department questioned the athlete-turned-actor regarding the double murders and ordered him to surrender by 2 pm. When he failed to do so, the LAPD gave out an all-points bulletin, informing every officer about Simpson's disappearance. Around 5 pm, Simpson's friend and lawyer Robert Kardashian read a three-page-long letter, dubbed as a 'suicide note' from the former Buffalo Bills running back. At around 6 pm, a driver noticed Simspon being driven by his friend Al Cowlings in a white Ford Bronco. The police were notified who then ID'd Simpson and chased him down slowly for over 60 miles. At around 8 pm, Simpson took the car to his residence where he got down from the vehicle after a long time. The police found a few items in the car, including Simpson's passport, a gun, makeup glue, a fake mustache and a goatee, per The Mirror.

2. Trying the glove

O.J. Simpson shows the jury a leather glove allegedly used in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman during testimony in Simpson's murder trial June 15, 1995 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Lee Celano/WireImage) — OJ Simpson shows the jury a leather glove allegedly used in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman during testimony (Lee Celano/WireImage)

After Simpson eventually surrendered, the eleven-month-long 'Trial of the Century' started. Though he was accused of the double murders, Simson's team of lawyers, led by Kim Kardashian's father Robert Kardashian, managed to get the former athlete acquitted of the accusations. During the trial, Simpson's attorneys convinced the prosecutors to allow the former footballer to try the blood-stained gloves found at the crime scene. His lawyer Johnnie Cochran famously uttered the phrase, "If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit." The pair of gloves appeared to be too small for Simpson. At the end of the trial, the jury found Simpson to be not guilty of the double murder.

3. Civil trial and subsequent trials

395562 01: Former NFL star O.J. Simpson talks with one of his defense attorneys on the first day of jury selection October 9, 2001 at a Dade County courtroom in Miami, FL. Simpson, who was acquitted in 1994 in the murders of his ex-wife and her friend, is on trial for allegedly attacking a motorist in the Miami suburb of Kendall, Florida in December of 2000. If found guilty, Simpson could face up to 16 years in prison. (Pool Photo/Getty Images) — OJ Simpson was found liable for the deaths of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman and ordered to pay $33.5 million to the family members of the victims (Pool Photo/Getty Images)

Getting acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman was not the end of Simpson's legal woes. The Brown family and Goldman family further launched a civil case against Simpson where he was found liable for their deaths with the jury ordering him to pay $33.5 million to the family members of the victims. Soon, Simpson filed for bankruptcy and his assets were seized and auctioned. In 2001, Simpson was again subjected to a trial as he was being investigated for an alleged attack on a motorist in 2000.

4. 'If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer' book

'If I Did It' book (Photo by Kypros/Getty Images and Beaufort Books) — In 2007, OJ Simpson announced that he would be releasing a book titled, 'If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer' (Kypros/Getty Images and Beaufort Books)

In 2007, Simpson stirred controversies again after announcing he would be releasing a book titled, 'If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer'. After receiving immense flak as people accused Simpson of trying to profit from the deaths of Nicole and her friend, Harper Collins shelved the project. The rights to the book were later given to the Goldman family who released the book titled 'I Did It: Confessions of the Killer'. The book contains a hypothetical account of the double murders with Simpson giving interviews to the authors.

5. Vegas robbery

In 2008, Simpson was subjected to another investigation as he was accused of leading a group of men - with several being armed - into a Las Vegas hotel room in 2007 to steal memorabilia. Following a trial, he was found guilty of 12 charges including assault, kidnapping and robbery with a deadly weapon and sentenced to 33 years in prison. He was, however, granted parole for his good behavior and released after nine years in prison.

6. Khloe Kardashian paternity rumors

OJ Simpson denied Khloe Kardashian's paternity rumors (Getty Images)

OJ Simpson's life was marked with another sensational accusation that he was the father of Khloe Kardashian - the youngest daughter of Kris Jenner and Robert Kardashian. He, however, denied the speculation during a 2018 interview with TMZ. When he was asked whether the athlete would congratulate Khloe on her pregnancy, Simpson said, "Well, for Bob [Kardashian], God bless his soul, yeah. I don't know for me. I don't think for me I have nothing to do with it. I would be proud ... but trust me, I had nothing to do with it."

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