O.J. Simpson is perhaps one of the most controversial figures of the twentieth century. The former football star had his image mired after he was involved in the case of his ex-wife and her friend’s murder.
He passed away yesterday at the age of 76 years old and is survived by four children. Keep reading to know more about them.
O.J. Simpson passed away on Wednesday following his battle with cancer. The former NFL star and legend is survived by his four children, who were next to him at the time of his death.
O.J. was born Orenthal James Simpson and married his first wife, Marguerite Whitley, at just 19 years old in 1968. He welcomed three children with her: his eldest child, daughter Arnell, Jason, and a daughter, Aaren, who unfortunately passed away in infancy after accidentally drowning in the family’s swimming pool a year after her birth.
O.J. met his second wife, Nicole Brown, while he was still married to Marguerite. They met in 1977, and he divorced Marguerite in 1979. He continued to see Nicole until the two of them married in 1985. He welcomed two children with Nicole, his daughter Sydney and son Justin. In 1992, Nicole filed for divorce.
O.J. was already used to attention and popularity. At one point, he enjoyed nationwide fame for being one of the greatest running backs in NFL history. During his time in the NFL, he played for the Buffalo Bills for 11 seasons and then briefly for the San Francisco 49ers. After his NFL career, he turned to acting, appearing in the TV series Roots and even folks like The Klansman, The Towering Inferno, The Cassandra Crossing, Capricorn One, and more.
However, in 1994, the media attention on him reached an all-time high after he was arrested for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman. The trial that followed resulted in an incredible amount of media coverage and was dubbed the ‘Trial of the Century.’
On the day of his hearing on October 3, 1995, over 150 million tuned in to see what O.J.’s verdict would be. He was acquitted on both counts of murder. While he was not facing criminal charges for the murder, he was unanimously found liable for the wrongful death of and battery against Ron and battery against Nicole.
After the trial, O.J.’s life was filled with several run-ins with the law, which caused him to make frequent trips to the courthouse and jail. In 2017, he was finally released from prison after having served 9 years for armed robbery.
In August 2017, one of O.J.’s close friends, Tom Scotto, revealed that the former footballer had always kept in touch with all of his children throughout his time in prison.
“[O.J] talks with all of his children, and that is a fact,” Scotto said in an interview. “He wants to play golf, see his family, and hang out with his friends, the very few friends he has.”
O.J. is survived by his four children. Keep reading to learn more about what their lives look like today.
His eldest daughter, Arnella Simpson, is now 55 years old.
Arnelle Simpson was born on December 4, 1968. She is O.J. Simpson’s eldest child and, over the years, has been his most vocal supporter. However, in recent years, it seemed the two of them had a strained relationship.
At the time of the trial, Arnelle was 25 years old and testified as a witness in his defense. She stated that her father had been “emotional” and “distraught” when he learned of Nicole’s murder and publicly stated that she believed her father was innocent.
When her father was up for parole in 2017, Arnella spoke about why she thought he should be granted release. She said to the parole board, “As a family, we recognize he’s not the perfect man, but as a man and a father he has done his best to behave in a way that speaks to his overall nature and character.”
His son, Jason Simpson, is now 53 years old.
Jason has spent his life largely avoiding the public eye, but he is still O.J.’s best-known child, especially for those who followed the murder trial. When O.J. was told to turn himself over to the police, he disobeyed their orders, which led to the infamous police chase in his white Ford Bronco. The vehicle was driven by his friend and former teammate, Al Cowlings. After the chase, it was Jason who had attempted to speak to his father after he arrived at his Brentwood home. However, he was not able to speak to his father as police arrived and detained O.J. before he got the chance.
In 2012, private detective William Dear wrote the book O.J. Is Innocent and I Can Prove It. In the book, he alleges that Jason might have been the real killer and even claims that the young Simpson had been diagnosed with intermittent rage disorder. However, none of his claims were ever legally verified or amounted to any legal proceedings.
In 2016, a report claimed that Jason was working as a chef in Atlanta, Georgia. He has reportedly been employed by several eateries in the city.
His daughter, Sydney Simpson, is now 38 years old.
Sydney was born on October 17, 1985. She was his first child with Nicole Brown and arrived just eight months after the couple’s wedding. She was eight years old when her mother was murdered, and after that, had been taken care of largely by her aunt, Tanya Brown.
Sydney moved to Florida with her brother Justin in 2000. According to reports, she went to Boston University and earned a degree in sociology in 2010. After her degree, she moved back to St. Petersburg, Florida, to presumably be near her brother again. In Florida, she manages and owns multiple properties. She does not have a big social media presence and appears to live a quiet life.
His youngest child, his son Justin Simpson is now 35 years old.
O.J.’s youngest child, Justin, was also born to him during his marriage to Nicole Brown. Justin arrived on August 8, 1989. He was only five years old at the time of his mother’s murder. Like his sister Sydney, he was also taken care of by his late mother’s family, mainly his aunt and grandparents.
While there is not much information about Justin, he spoke to a media outlet in 2016, and during the interview, it was revealed that he was working as a realtor for Coldwell Banker in St. Petersburg.
“It’s a great place to live, why not St. Pete?” Justin said in the interview, adding, “It’s gorgeous here.”
Much like his sister, he also leads a quiet life and does not use social media as much.
O.J.’s death was confirmed by his family on social media through a statement they released on X (formerly known as Twitter.)
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” the statement read. “He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.”
The family asked in their statement for “privacy and grace.”
In February, O.J. himself cleared the air of the hospice rumors that hounded him. He took to social media to clear the air, and he said, “I’m not in any hospice, I don’t know who put that out there,” O.J. said, not acknowledging the cancer rumors. “I guess it’s like the Donald say: ‘Can’t trust the media!’”
“In any event, I’m hosting a ton of friends for the Super Bowl here in Las Vegas. All is well!” he ended his message. “Take care and have a good Super Bowl weekend!”