MOVIE NEWS – The former NFL player O.J. Simpson, who appeared in several movies, including the Naked Gun movies, is best known for his acquittal in his infamous 1990s murder trial.

Former NFL star O.J. Simpson died at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer, his family announced. The once iconic sportsman spent many years in the shadow of legal trouble. These began when he was charged with murder in 1994 despite being acquitted by a criminal court. A statement shared by his family on social media read:

“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. 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.”

Simpson was reportedly battling prostate cancer.

The career of O.J. Simpson

Orenthal James “O.J.” Simpson became famous thanks to his impeccable career as an NFL football player. He was considered one of the best running backs. Later, he turned to acting; among other things, he played in the Naked Gun trilogy. It seemed that this would be his new profession after his years as an athlete. However, things did not turn out that way. In 1994, he was charged with the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her boyfriend, Ronald Goldman.

The subsequent acquittal in 1995 was a defining moment that polarized the American public and effectively ended his Hollywood career.

Simpson’s transition to acting began in the 1970s, but the actor’s first significant role was playing ambidextrous police officer Nordberg in The Naked Gun. He played alongside Leslie Nielsen and Gordon Kennedy. Simpson appeared in all three films. The Naked Gun 33 1/3 became his last film, released the same year he became the subject of one of America’s most infamous murder trials.

The contradictions of the infamous murder trial

Despite his significant achievements, Simpson’s life took a dark turn with his highly publicized murder trial in 1994. The trial’s outcome had many consequences for her, her lawyer, Robert Kardashian, and the American legal system. Media attention made the case one of the biggest talking points of the decade. The acquittal of the accused in the case, despite the incriminating evidence pointing to him, is still the subject of books and TV shows three decades later.

Simpson’s legal troubles continued into the late 2000s, culminating in his 2007 arrest for armed robbery and kidnapping in Las Vegas, for which he served nine years of a 33-year sentence and was released in 2017.

Although Simpson was acquitted in criminal court, he was later found responsible for the deaths of Brown and Goldman in a civil suit. Despite being ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages (which equates to more than $64 million when adjusted for inflation), he paid only a fraction of that before his death.

Source: Variety