OJ Simpson died on Wednesday at age 76 after a battle with cancer. The former NFL star and controversial socialite left behind four adult children who were by his side at the time of his death.
OJ, born Orenthal James Simpson, married his first wife, Marguerite Whitley, in 1968 when he was 19 years old. Together, the former couple welcomed three children – daughter Arnelle, 55, son Jason, 53, and a daughter, Aaren, who died when she was just a year old after tragically drowning in the family’s swimming pool.
OJ met his second wife, Nicole Brown, in 1977 while he was still married to Marguerite. OJ and Marguerite divorced in 1979, and he continued to date Nicole until they tied the knot in 1985. They had two children together – daughter Sydney, 38, and son Justin, 35. Nicole filed for divorce from OJ in 1992.
OJ first gained national fame as one of the greatest running backs in NFL history – where he played for the Buffalo Bills for 11 seasons and briefly for the San Francisco 49ers. He later became an actor and appeared in the critically acclaimed television series. rootand in films like The Klansman, The Towering Inferno, The Cassandra Crossing, Capricorn Oneand in all three of the Naked weapon Movies.
However, his family came into the public spotlight in 1994 when he was arrested for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole her boyfriend, Ron Goldman. His subsequent trial, considered at the time the “trial of the century,” sparked an unprecedented media frenzy.
On October 3, 1995, in front of over 150 million viewers, OJ was found not guilty of both murders. Although he was acquitted of the criminal charges, OJ was unanimously found liable for the wrongful death and bodily harm against Ron and the bodily harm against Nicole.
The rest of OJ’s life was filled with legal problems that took him both in and out of prison. In 2017 he was released from prison after nine years in prison for armed robbery.
In August 2017, Today spoke with OJ’s best friend, Tom Scotto, after OJ was paroled, and he revealed that the embattled former football player had kept in touch with all of his children throughout his time behind bars.
“[O.J] “He talks to all his kids, and that’s a fact,” Scotto said Today. “He wants to play golf, see his family and hang out with his friends, the few friends he has.”
Learn more about OJ’s surviving children below.
Arnell Simpson, 55
Born on December 4, 1968, Arnelle is OJ’s eldest daughter. She has been one of his most vocal supporters and defenders over the years during his legal troubles – although the relationship between them has been rather strained in recent years.
Arnelle was 25 when she testified in her father’s murder case, who acted as a witness in his defense. Arnelle said her father was “emotional” and “saddened” when she learned of Nicole’s death and publicly expressed her belief that he was innocent.
In 2017, when her father was about to be released on parole, Arnelle spoke passionately about why he should be granted his release, telling the parole board: “As a family we recognize that he is not the perfect man, but as a man and a father he has done his best to find a way to be behavior that corresponds to his entire nature.” Character.”
Jason Simpson, 53
Although Jason has lived largely out of the public eye, he is perhaps one of OJ’s best-known children among those who followed the murder trial. Instead of turning himself in to police as ordered, OJ led police on a chase in the infamous white Ford Bronco – driven by his friend and former teammate Al Cowlings. It was Jason who tried to talk to OJ after arriving at his Brentwood home. However, OJ was arrested and handcuffed by police before Jason could reach his father.
In 2012, private investigator William Dear wrote a book: OJ is innocent and I can prove it, in which he claimed that Jason may have been the real killer and claimed that Jason had been diagnosed with intermittent anger disorder. However, none of Dear’s claims were legally tested and no legal action was taken based on Dear’s alleged evidence suggesting possible guilt on Jason’s part.
In 2016, this was reported by the Los Angeles Times that Jason worked as a chef in Atlanta, Georgia and was reportedly employed at several restaurants in the city.
Sydney Simpson, 38
Sydney was born on October 17, 1985, eight months after OJ and Nicole got married. When her mother was killed, she was only eight years old and was taken in and largely cared for by her aunt Tanya Brown.
Sydney and her brother Justin moved to Florida in 2000 Los Angeles TimesSydney attended Boston University and graduated with a degree in sociology in 2010.
She later moved back to St. Petersburg, Florida – close to her brother again – where she owns and manages several properties. She largely avoids a presence on social media and appears to lead a quiet life.
Justin Simpson, 35
OJ’s youngest child, Justin, was born on August 8, 1989 and was only five years old at the time of the murders. Like Sydney, Justin was cared for by his aunt and grandparents in the years that followed during the legal firestorm.
Although not much is known about Justin’s childhood, he spoke to the Tampa Bay Times in 2016 and talked about working as a real estate agent for Coldwell Banker in St. Petersburg.
“It’s a great place to live, why not St. Pete?” Justin told the publication at the time. “It is wonderful here.”
Like his sister, Justin has mostly lived a quiet life and has a minimal presence on social media.
OJ’s family confirmed the news of his death on Thursday morning in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“On April 10, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” the statement said. “He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.”
The family ended their statement by asking for “privacy and mercy.”
In February, OJ denied that he was in hospice in a post on social media.
“I’m not in any hospice, I don’t know who put that out there,” OJ said, not acknowledging the cancer rumors. “I guess it’s like Donald saying, ‘You can’t trust the media!'”
“In any case, I’m inviting a lot of friends to the Super Bowl here in Las Vegas. Everything is fine!” He finished his message. “Take care and have a great Super Bowl weekend!”
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