The cause of death of O. J. Simpson, the celebrated football player acquitted of murder, has been revealed by his lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne. Simpson died on April 10 from metastatic prostate cancer. He was 76.
The former football icon has been fighting cancer since revealing his diagnosis in May 2023. “I was pretty certain it was prostate cancer; ultimately, that was the cause,” LaVergne told People on Friday. “He thought it had beaten it,” he added. “I thought this was done, but you know how cancers go. They come back, and they come back with a vengeance.”
Simpson, once celebrated for his achievements in football and entertainment, saw his legacy irrevocably tarnished by the notorious knife slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles, in June 1994.
He was subsequently held responsible in a civil case for the deaths and later served a nine-year prison term for charges unrelated to the case.
O.J. Simpson’s Achievements Were Marred by the Deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman
Simpson was with the NFL for 11 seasons, dedicating nine of those to the Buffalo Bills, earning the nickname “The Juice.” He shone behind an offensive line famously dubbed “The Electric Company.” Throughout his career, Simpson clinched four NFL rushing titles, amassed 11,236 rushing yards, scored 76 touchdowns, and made five Pro Bowl appearances. However, his pinnacle season was in 1973, marking a monumental moment as he became the first running back to surpass the 2,000-yard rushing milestone, with a record-setting 2,003 yards.
Simpson’s ascent in football coincided with the launch of his television career. On the night he won the Heisman Trophy in 1968, he also signed a contract with ABC Sports. He debuted on TV that year, appearing on NBC’s Dragnet and Ironside. Simpson was a color commentator for ABC for ten years before moving to NBC. In 1983, he joined ABC’s “Monday Night Football” team.
O.J. Simpson jumped to the big screen in the 1974 film The Klansman alongside Lee Marvin. Despite its failure, he went on to act in numerous films and TV series. These include The Towering Inferno (1974), Roots (1977), and Capricorn One (1977).
Nonetheless, Simpson’s acting legacy is perhaps best defined by his role in 1988’s The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad and its two sequels. In these slapstick comedies, Simpson portrayed Detective Nordberg, acting alongside Leslie Nielsen.