OJ Simpson had a record-breaking NFL career and Hollywood dreams before he was accused of and later acquitted in the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, in a court trial that captivated the nation.
OJ Simpson, born as Orenthal James Simpson, was a star football player at the University of Southern California. Bettmann Archive He married his first wife, Marguerite Whitley, on June 24, 1967, and shared two children, daughter Arnelle and son Jason. Michael Ochs Archives Simpson was chosen as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1969 NFL/AFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. Getty Images Simpson, played on the Buffalo Bills as a running back in the early 1970s. Focus on Sport via Getty Images By the end of his football career, Simpson (#32) was named to the NFL All-Decade Team of the 1970s and the NFL 100 All-Time Team. Getty Images Simpson and Whitley filed for divorced in 1979. Bettmann Archive After 10 years in the NFL, Simpson switched his career into acting and sports broadcasting. Getty Images Simpson worked on films such as “The Klansman” in 1974 with Lola Falana and Richard Burton. Pierluigi/Shutterstock Simpson starred in the thriller/sci-fi movie “Capricron One” with Sam Waterston andd James Brolin. Moviestore/Shutterstock Simpson met Nicole Brown in 1977 while she was still working as a waitress in Beverly Hills. The pair married in February 1985. Getty Images Simpson acted in the 1979 film “Firepower”. ITV/Shutterstock Simpson co-starred besides George Kennedy, Leslie Nielsen, and Susan Beaubian in “The Naked Gun” in 1988. Moviestore/Shutterstock Simpson was pictured with party guests Kauai Party on October 6, 1988 at Lagoons in Kauai, Hawaii. Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Brown and Simpson shared two children together, son Justin Simpson and daughter Sydney Simpson. The pair later divorced in October 1992. DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock In 1994, Simpson was accused of murdering Nicole Brown and her friend, Ron Goldman, after they were both found with stab wounds outside her Brentwood home. Bei/Shutterstock Simpson was seen with his children Justin and Sydney at Nicole Brown’s funeral on June 16th 1994. Getty Images O.J. Simpson was trailed by Los Angeles police cars in a high speed chase on a Southern California freeway in Los Angeles on June 17, 1994 after being charged with two counts of murder. AP The O.J. Simpson trial was one of the most viewed court trials in American history. ABACA/Shutterstock On Oct. 3, 1995, Simpson was found not guilty in the death of Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. AP Simpson was arrested and held without bail for robbery of sports memorabilia that he claimed was his and that had been stolen and fenced by collectors in September 2007. Shutterstock On Dec 5, 2008, Simpson was sentenced on 12 charges, including felony kidnapping and armed robbery related to the 2007 confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers in lAS vegas, Nevada. Isaac Brekken/UPI/Shutterstock On July 20th, 2017, Simpson was granted parole at Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada after serving 9 years for the 2007 conviction. Jason Bean/UPI/Shutterstock Simpson died on April 11, 2024 after battling with prostate cancer. @TheRealOJ32 / X 
