A former lawyer of the Nicole Brown Simpson estate is speaking out about witnessing O.J. Simpson’s alleged rage firsthand.
John Q. Kelly, who represented Nicole’s estate in the 1997 civil lawsuit trial by Nicole’s family and Ron Goldman’s family, revealed to PEOPLE the incident occurred following the 1997 ruling.
During the civil suit, O.J. was found liable for the murders of Nicole and her friend Ron. Both of them were found stabbed multiple times outside of Nicole’s condo, which was located in Los Angeles’ Brentwood neighborhood. Simpson was ordered to pay $33.5 million to both Browns and Goldmans.
As his items were being seized, O.J. requested to keep his favorite set of golf clubs. However, Kelly refused to allow him to keep the clubs.
“Believe it or not,” Kelly said. “The Goldman attorneys consented to have his golf clubs returned to him, but I did not. He asked why. I told him. I knew how much they meant to him, and I was going to hold onto them for now, and he got rather angry with me.”
The lawyer also described Simpson as being a “large, imposing personality” who “was very full of himself.” Kelly said he and Simpson had talked “a lot” on deposition breaks.
Kelly recalled the exchange with O.J. about not letting him have the golf clubs back. Simpson began to slap him “on the back harder and harder with the eyes getting larger and larger, and it just went on for a minute.”
Kelly didn’t believe it was so much just about the golf clubs, but rather it was something that set O.J. off about other things as well. When asked if Simpson remained adamant about not murdering his ex-wife and Ron Goldman, the lawyer added, “In his mind, it never happened.”
Ron Goldman’s Father Stated There’s ‘No Closure’ From O.J. Simpson’s Death
Just after O.J. Simpson’s children announced he had died last week, Ron Goldman’s father released a statement about the news.
“The only thing that is important today are the victims,” Fred Goldman, Ron’s father, shared with The Daily Beast. “And it’s just a reminder for myself and my family that Ron has been gone all these years – and that we continue to miss him, all these years.”
Fred also stated that there is “no such thing” as closure for him. He and his daughter, Kim, released a separate statement, noting the news of “Ron’s killer” passing away is a “mixed bag of complicated emotions.”
[The news] reminds us that the journey through grief is not linear,” the statement read. “For three decades we tirelessly pursued justice for Ron and Nicole, despite a civil judgment and his confession in [his 2007 book] If I Did It, the hope for true accountability has ended.”
Kim and Fred then shared that they continue to advocate for the rights of all victims and survivors. The duo also wants to ensure the victims’ and survivors’ voices are heard both within and beyond the courtroom.
“And despite his death, the mission continues,” they added. “There’s always more to be done.”