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O.J. Simpson, the celebrated American football icon and actor who was famously acquitted of murder in the 1995 “trial of the century,” passed away at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer, his family announced via social media. Simpson died on Wednesday, according to the announcement made on Thursday.
In 1994, Simpson was acquitted in the stabbing deaths of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles, despite later being found liable for her death in a civil lawsuit. His legal battles continued well beyond the murder trial. In 2008, he was sentenced to up to 33 years in prison for armed robbery and kidnapping in a separate case involving sports memorabilia dealers at a Las Vegas hotel. He served nine years before being released on parole in 2017.
Known as “The Juice,” Simpson was a dominant figure in late 20th-century American sports and culture. He overcame early health challenges to star at the University of Southern California, where he won the Heisman Trophy, and later set records in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers. His induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame followed, along with a successful career in broadcasting, advertising, and acting in films like the “Naked Gun” series.
The 1994 double murder case shifted his public persona dramatically. It featured a televised car chase, a racially charged and highly publicized trial, and a verdict that split public opinion along racial lines. Simpson’s legal team, which included high-profile defense attorneys like Johnnie Cochran and Alan Dershowitz, famously challenged the prosecution’s evidence, leading to his acquittal.
Despite his acquittal, the Goldman and Brown families won a civil case against Simpson in 1997, resulting in a $33.5 million judgment for wrongful death, which significantly impacted his later life. Simpson’s complex legacy encompasses his sports achievements, his dramatic legal battles, and his later years living under the shadow of his legal troubles.
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