Following the news that former NFL star O.J. Simpson passed away at the age of 76 following a battle with prostate cancer, fans and critics alike took to social media to share their reactions.
in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Simpson’s five children announced he passed away on Wednesday, April 10.
“Our father, Orenthal James Simpson succumbed to his battle with cancer,” they wrote. “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.”
The social media response was quick with mixed feelings about Simpson’s death. “RIP to the legend OJ Simpson,” one X user wrote. A fellow admirer of Simpson’s also stated, “RIP to OJ Simpson. One of my idols” with the hashtag #TheGloveDidntFit.
Other X users had a different opinion about The Juice’s death. “OJ Simpson died without confessing he killed that lady,” an X user wrote, referring to the infamous murder of Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole. “Now we’ll never know.”
Another critic also referred to Nicole’s murder by posting, “All of us still wondering if OJ Simpson really did it.”
O.J. Simpson’s Life Has Been in the Spotlight For Nearly 60 Years
O.J. Simpson was a rising NFL star in the late ’60s and throughout the ’70s. He played for the Buffalo Bills from 1969 to 1977 before moving to the San Francisco 49ers from 1978 to 1979.
After 11 NFL seasons, Simpson retired from football and went into acting. He starred in various films and TV shows throughout the years. Among his well-known works were Roots, The Naked Gun trilogy, and The Towering Inferno.
However, Simpson eventually made headlines over his rocky marriage with his second wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. The couple met in 1977 while he was still married to his first wife, Marguerite L. Whitley, whom he married in 1967 and had three children with.
Following an affair, Simpson divorced Whitely. He married Nicole in 1985 and shared two children. During the seven-year marriage, Simpson pleaded no contest to spousal abuse. Nicole filed for divorce in 1992.
O.J. Simpson was later accused of murdering Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman on June 12, 1994.
The public grew suspicious of him after he led authorities on a two-hour-long slow-speed car chase throughout Los Angeles in his white Ford Bronco. His longtime friend Al Cowlings was driving the vehicle. He was later arrested at his Brentwood estate.
Simpson’s infamous nearly nine-month trial ended with him being acquitted for both murders. However, his legal woes didn’t stop there. In 1997, he was sued by the Goldman family for the wrongful deaths of Ron and Nicole. He was ordered to pay the family $33.5 million.
In 2008, O.J. Simpson was arrested for armed robbery in Las Vegas. He was sentenced to nine years in prison for his crime. He was released from prison in 2017.