Sport brought him fame and his jealousy overthrew: Ex-football professional and convicted criminal OJ Simpson has died at the age of 76.
Las Vegas – In the 60s he was a celebrated football star, then OJ Simpson made a career in Hollywood. Then came the deep fall when he stood trial on suspicion of murder in the 1990s and went to prison for armed robbery in 2008. Now the American has succumbed to cancer, as his family announced.
OJ Simpson died of cancer - illness only recently became known
On X (formerly Twitter), the Simpson family announced that the former football star and actor died of cancer on April 10th. It is said that he was surrounded by his children and grandchildren in his home in Las Vegas until the end. It was only in February of this year that his prostate cancer became public. The 76-year-old is said to have gotten worse recently.
Orenthal James (OJ for short) Simpson was born on July 9, 1947 in San Francisco, California. The American became famous for his football talent; in the 1970s he was considered one of the best running backs of his profession in both college and the NFL. To this day, “The Juice” holds an NFL record with six games in which he rushed for over 200 yards. His nickname (“the juice”) was partly based on his two names (OJ, which is also an abbreviation for Orange Juice in the USA), and partly on his fluid running style as a running back.
In 1968 he was awarded the coveted Heisman Trophy as the most valuable college player, and a year later he was drafted into the NFL professional league by the Buffalo Bills with the first pick in the first round. He has been part of the Football Hall of Fame since 1985 and played for the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Bills during his professional days. While he was still active in sports, he appeared in films and TV series, including the comedies “The Naked Cannon”.
Dark side of an exceptional athlete: murder accusation and conviction of OJ Simpson
The “trial of the century” brought Simpson worldwide attention, including beyond the sports world and Hollywood. He was accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her acquaintance Ronald Goldman. In the US media he was considered extremely jealous during this second marriage.
On October 3, 1995, Simpson was surprisingly acquitted of the allegations; the burden of proof at the time was considered overwhelming by the legal community. However, in a subsequent civil trial, he was ordered to pay $33.5 million in compensation to the victims' families.
In 2008 he was found guilty of armed robbery and hostage-taking. The verdict: 33 years in prison with the possibility of release after nine years at the earliest. Simpson was released early for good behavior and was released on parole in 2017.
On the same day as Simpson's death, the German acting legend Fritz Wepper, who died at the end of March after a long, serious illness, was buried in Munich. (rku)