By Brandon Champion
mlive.com
LAS VEGAS — OJ Simpson, a star football player accused of and acquitted of murder, has died, his family announced Thursday. He was 76.
“On April 10th , our father, Orenthal James Simpson , succumbed to his battle with cancer,” a statement from the family read. “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.”
Not much is known about Simpson’s health.. He said he “caught cancer” and “had to do the whole chemo thing” in a video posted to X in May 2023.
He posted another video update on Super Bowl Sunday saying, “My health is good. I mean, obviously I’m dealing with some issues but I think I’m just about over it.”
Nicknamed “the Juice,” Simpson won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award at USC in 1968 after rushing for 1,709 yards and 22 touchdowns.
He was selected No. 1 overall by the Buffalo Bills, won the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1973 and made five Pro Bowls in the 1970s. His star expanded beyond football as a sportscaster, movie and television actor, and as a corporate spokesman.
That changed on June 12, 1994, when Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman , were brutally stabbed to death outside of the former’s home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood.
An arrest warrant was issued for Simpson who later fled police in a white Ford Bronco driven by his friend Al Cowlings as millions watched in real-time on TV. The chase ended with his surrender after nearly two hours.
He was ultimately acquitted after an 11-month trial that played out under intense, daily media coverage and scrutiny from the public in the U.S. and across the globe.
This story will be updated.
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