NEW YORK – Even in death, O.J. Simpson could not escape the notoriety that followed him throughout his life.
The former American football star was found not guilty by a jury in 1994 of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
But there was no doubt about his guilt in the eyes of many, a stain that marked the rest of his life with controversy.
Simpson case has been called the “trial of the century,” marking the beginning of the era of televised trials and a precursor to America’s current obsession with true crime.
After a staggering 11 months of evidence-taking, 150 million people watched the verdict, including primary school children who were taken out of class to watch.
Instead of focusing on the facts of the case, Simpson’s $6 million “dream team” of lawyers, including Alan Dershowitz, who later represented pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, turned the case into a became a referendum on race and policing in Los Angeles.
Simpson’s attorneys attacked witnesses including homicide detective Mark Forman.
From the prosecution’s perspective, he was supposed to be one of the stars of the trial — until the jury heard a recording of him repeatedly using the “N” word.
Simpson’s former roommate Brian “Kato” Kaelin became a star in the trial for his flamboyant style and hilarious reactions while testifying.
In another bizarre moment, Judge Lance Ito fought back tears as he disqualified himself from part of the trial because he was “hurt” by Foreman’s criticism of his wife, a police captain.
But the most famous part was yet to come – Simpson’s lawyers showed the jury a glove allegedly used by the killer.
Simpson’s lawyer Johnny Cochran told the court: “If it’s not appropriate, you have to acquit.”
It was unfit – the jury ultimately acquitted.
2016 documentary Orange Juice: Made in the USA It argued the sentence was retaliation for the 1991 beating of Rodney King, a black man, by several Los Angeles police officers.
The film notes that when Simpson led police on a low-speed chase in his Ford Mustang before his arrest, the public cheered him on a highway bridge as if he were a folk hero.
Simpson’s trial comes two years after the police officer who beat King was acquitted, a verdict that sparked riots in Los Angeles.
That appeared to have an impact on Simpson’s jury, which was made up of eight black people, two white people and one Indigenous/First Nations American.
Before his arrest, Simpson had lived a golden life and was seen as a figure who transcended race.
He won the Heisman Trophy, one of the most prestigious trophies for young players in the sport, and became the spokesperson for the car rental company Hertz.
Simpson became an actor and appeared in the following films naked gun and commentating on sports television programs.
However, during the trial, Brown’s image was shattered when his sister Denise told the court she was an abused wife.
The US released shocking photos of Brown’s face after he was beaten by Simpson, who turned him into a pariah.
Rewatching the footage of the verdict, what shocks you is not Simpson’s reaction, but the sobs of Goldman’s mother, Sharon Ruffo, who was sitting in the public gallery, crying so loudly that the camera panned around her. Look at her.
Goldman’s father, Fred, stared at the ceiling as if asking, “How could this happen?”
After Simpson was acquitted, Goldman’s family made it their life’s mission to prove his guilt and filed a civil lawsuit against him, which they won.
The jury awarded them $33.5 million in damages, but they didn’t receive a penny from the bankrupt Simpson.
Goldman’s family did win the rights to Simpson’s book, which has a shocking title: If I do this, here’s what happens.
Goldman’s family published the book titled: “I Did It” with “IF” written in small letters.
Simpson wasn’t done with the law, as in 2008 he was sentenced to 33 years in prison for an armed robbery at a Las Vegas hotel where he was robbed of souvenirs.
Simpson was released in early 2017, having served nearly nine years in prison, and spent his final years posting on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Hey X world, this is me, the real you,” Simpson exclaims in his signature voice at the beginning of each video.
By then, the cute uncle routine was fooling no one.
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