O.J. Simpson bio, family, career & net worth

Who is O.J. Simpson?

O.J. Simpson, the former American football player, and actor, has been a well-known name for over a decade. Now at the age of 76, Orenthal James Simpson, aka “The Juice,” has achieved numerous records in football, sports commentary, and advertising, but his career has been tainted by controversy.

Perhaps Simpson’s most infamous moment came when he was tried and acquitted for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman. The trial, which captivated audiences worldwide, is still remembered as one of the most controversial cases in American history.

Despite his fall from grace, Simpson’s life has continued to draw attention. From his imprisonment for armed robbery to his appearance in films like The Naked Gun, his story is fascinating. Join me as we delve into the life and times of this once-beloved celebrity who has become a cautionary tale.

OJ-simpson-Biography
OJ Simpson Biography

quick facts

Full nameOrenthal James Simpson
NicknameOJ and The Juice
BirthdayJuly 9, 1947
Age76 years old
Sunsign Cancer
BirthplaceSan Francisco, California, USA
Current residenceLas Vegas, Nevada, USA
NationalityAmerican
ParentsEunice Simpson,
Jimmy Lee Simpson
SiblingsMelvin Lean ‘Truman’ Simpson,
Shirley Simpson-Baker,
Carmelita Simpson-Durio
Marital statusDivorced
SpouseNicole Brown Simpson (1985-1989),
Marguerite L. Whitley (1967- 1979)
ChildrenArnelle L. Simpson,
Jason Lamar Simpson,
Aaren Lashone Simpson,
Sydney Brooke Simpson,
Justin Ryan Simpson
EducationUndergraduate degree from the University of Southern California,
High school degree from Galileo High School
ProfessionThe former sports star, movie star, and sports commentator
Net worth             USD 3 million
Social mediaInstagram,
Twitter

Early life

O.J. Simpson was born in San Francisco, California, on July 9, 1947, to parents Eunice Simpson and Jimmy Lee Simpson. He grew up with three siblings: Melvin Leon ‘Truman’ Simpson, Shirley Simpson-Baker, and Carmelita Simpson-Durio. Interestingly, his parents named him after his aunt’s favorite French actor.

Childhood photo of Orenthal James Simpson

As a child, Simpson had rickets and wore braces until he was five years old. As a teenager, he briefly joined a street gang called “The Persian Warriors” and was even jailed at the San Francisco Youth Guidance Center for robbery.

During this time, he met baseball legend Willie Mays, who served as a mentor and encouraged Simpson to pursue his dreams. O.J. Simpson attended Galileo High School (now Galileo Academy of Science and Technology) in San Francisco and played on the school’s football team, The Galileo Lions.

He enrolled at City College of San Francisco, where he played football as a running back and defensive back. He was even named Junior College All-American as a running back due to his undeniable talent on the field. After City College won the Prune Bowl, Simpson drew the attention of many college programs looking to recruit him.

Despite numerous offers, he ultimately chose to attend the University of Southern California (USC), fulfilling a lifelong dream. For many football players, USC is considered one of the country’s most prestigious college football programs. With his talent and potential, Simpson was destined for greatness.

Parents

Sydney Simpson father OJ Simpson and her grand parents phot
O.J. Simpson, Jimmy Lee Simpson (Father), and Eunice Simpson (Mother)

Eunice Simpson (née Durden)

O.J. Simpson’s mother, Eunice Simpson (née Durden), was born in Alabama on October 23, 1921. After moving to San Francisco, California, Eunice worked as a hospital administrator and raised her four children as a single mother after separating from her husband, Jimmy Lee Simpson, in 1968.

Despite the challenges of raising a family on her own, Eunice was known for being a strong and supportive mother to her children, including O.J. She instilled a strong work ethic and encouraged them to pursue their passions. Eunice inspired O.J. to pursue football, telling him he could use his talent to create a better life.

James Lee Simpson

O.J. Simpson’s father was Jimmy Lee Simpson, born on January 27, 1920, in Louisiana. He worked as a chef and bank custodian while performing as a drag queen in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jimmy Lee Simpson was known to have struggled with alcoholism and had a troubled personal life. He separated from his wife, Eunice Simpson, in 1968, and his mother primarily raised Orenthal James Simpson. In the later years of his life, Jimmy Lee Simpson came out as gay and was open about his sexual orientation.

Tragically, Jimmy Lee Simpson passed away from AIDS in 1986, a difficult and emotional time for O.J. and his family. However, despite his father’s struggles, O.J. Simpson has spoken fondly of his father in interviews and has credited him with instilling a love of sports and a competitive spirit.

Marriages

Marguerite Simpson

Old photo of Marguerite Simpson with her ex-husband OJ Simpson
Old photo of Marguerite Simpson with her ex-husband OJ Simpson

Marguerite Simpson was the first wife of OJ Simpson. She met Simpson in 1964 when they were both students at Galileo High School in San Francisco.

In 1967, OJ was 19 years old, and Marguerite was 18 when they married. They had three children together: Arnelle, Jason, and Aaren. The couple’s marriage was reportedly tumultuous, with OJ’s infidelities and domestic violence allegations being a major source of conflict.

In 1977, Marguerite filed for divorce from OJ, citing irreconcilable differences. Marguerite received custody of their three children after the divorce.

In 1979, her daughter Aaren drowned in the family’s swimming pool at the age of two. Marguerite was devastated by the loss and later founded the Aaren Simpson Foundation, which provides children with swimming lessons and water safety education.

Marguerite was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998. She underwent a double mastectomy and chemotherapy and was in remission for several years before the cancer returned. Unfortunately, she passed away from the disease in 2016 at 74.

Nicole Brown Simpson

Nicole Brown Simpson second wife of OJ Simpson

Nicole Brown Simpson was the ex-wife of former NFL player and actor O.J. Simpson. She was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1959 and grew up in Southern California. Orenthal James Simpson began his romance with Nicole Brown while he was still legally married to his first wife, Marguerite.

Brown met O.J. Simpson in 1977 while working as a waitress at the nightclub where O.J. was a regular. Simpson eventually divorced Marguerite in March 1979, and eight years later, he tied the knot with Brown in 1985 after he had retired from football.

The couple had two children together, Sydney and Justin, but allegations of domestic violence marked their marriage. Unfortunately, their marriage was plagued with troubles, including allegations of domestic violence in 1989. In 1992, Nicole filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. She was awarded USD 433,000 as a divorce settlement and received USD 10,000 monthly for child support.

On June 12, 1994, Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman were brutally murdered outside her home in Brentwood, California.

Simpson was charged with their murders, and the subsequent trial became one of the most high-profile criminal cases in U.S. history. The trial lasted for more than eight months and was widely televised. Finally, in 1995, O.J. was acquitted of the murders, although many believed he was guilty.

After the trial, Nicole’s family filed a civil suit against O.J. Simpson for wrongful death, and in 1997, a civil jury found him liable for the deaths of Nicole and Ron Goldman. He was ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages to the families.

Children

Nicole Brown will all the kids

O.J. Simpson has five children, three of whom he shares with his first wife, Marguerite Whitley. His first child, Arnelle L. Simpson, was born in 1968, followed by Jason Lamar Simpson in 1970 and Aaren Lashone Simpson in 1977. Sadly, Aaren passed away after drowning in the family’s swimming pool.

Simpson had two more children with his second wife, Nicole Brown. Justin Ryan Simpson was born in 1988, followed by Sydney Brooke Simpson in 1985.

OJ Simpson Career

John McKay
John-McKay coaching O.J. Simpson

After enrolling as a transfer student at USC, O.J. Simpson joined the college football team under head coach John McKay in 1967 and 1968. His outstanding gameplay quickly gained him recognition as one of the greatest players of the 20th century.

His exceptional performance earned him the ‘Walter Camp Award’ in 1967 and two-time All-American honors. Simpson was considered one of the best college football players in the country. In 1968, he made history by winning the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Award, all in the same year. He also held the record for the Heisman’s largest margin of victory.

Buffalo Bills selected Simpson as the first pick in the 1969 AFL-NFL Common Draft.

Although he struggled in his first few years as a professional football player, Simpson’s fortune changed in 1973 when he became the first player to rush over 2,000 yards in a single season, scoring 12 touchdowns. It was awe-inspiring because the NFL only had 14 games per season back then, compared to the 16 it has now. Simpson also won the NFL MVP Award and Bert Bell Award that year.

Simpson was named the NFL player of the year in 1973 and won the NFL rushing title four times. He is the only player to run over 200 yards in six games, earning him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

In 2019, he was named to the National Football League 100th Anniversary of the All-time team. In addition, due to his remarkable performance on the ground, Simpson was given the nickname ‘Juice.’

Awards

DATEAWARDS
1972- 19765 x Pro Bowl
1972-19765 x First-Team  All-Pro
1973NFL Most Valuable Player
1973NFL Offensive Player of the Year
1973Bert Bell Award
1973A.P. Athlete of the Year
1972, 1973, 1975, 19764 x NFL rushing touchdown leader
1973, 19752 x NFL rushing touchdown leader 
1969AFL All-star,
Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame,
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team,
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team,
NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
1967National Champion
1967Walter Camp Award
1968Heisman Trophy
1968Maxwell Award
1967, 19682 x Unanimous All-American 

O.J. Simpson’s acting career

After retiring from football, he moved into the acting and sports commentary field and had his show. Below are the lists of all the films and shows he has been a part of.  

YearProjectEpisodeRole
1968IronsideDragnetPrice tag death Community Relations DR:10OnlookerStudent
1969Medical CenterThe last 10 yardsBro Wiley
1971Why? The Athlete
1972Code’s CountyBlackoutJeff Hughes
1973Here’s LucyThe Big GameHimself
1974The KlansmanO.J Simpson: Juice on the loose,

The Towering Inferno

 Garth Himself,

Jernigan

1976The Cassandra CrossingKilling Force HaleyAlexander
1977A killing affair Roots Woodrow YorkKadi Touray
1978Capricorn One Cmdr. John Walker
1979Fire PowerGoldie and the Boxer CatlettJoe Gallagher
1980Detour to terror Lee Hayes
1981Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood Joe Gallagher
1983Cocaine and Blue EyesHambone and Hillie Michael BrennenTucker
1985-911st and Ten5 episodesT.D Parker
1987Back to the BeachStudent exchange A man at the airport Soccer Coach
1988The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad Detective Nordberg
1989In the heat of the nightWalkoutCouncilman Lawson Stiles
1991The Naked Gun2 ½: The smell of fear Detective Nordberg
1993CIA Code Name: AlexaFor goodness sake,

No place to hide

 Nick MurphyMan in a restaurant,

Allie Wheeler

1994Naked Gun: 33 1/3: The Final resultFrogmen Detective NordbergJohn ‘Bullfrog’ Burke
2006Juiced with O.J Simpson Himself
2011JailSeason 2, Episode 18Himself
2018Who is America?Episode 7Himself

O.J. Simpson documentary

There are lots of documentaries made in the name of O.J. Simpson.

Some of the most famous ones are O.J: Made in America, The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, Who Killed Nicole?, O.J: The Untold Story, O.J: Monster or Myth, and June 17th, 1994. 

There is also a Netflix Series titled ‘The People vs. O.J Simpson‘ that is a must-watch.

O.J. Simpson Netflix

The trial of O.J Simpson is made into a Netflix drama series in American Crime Series. The series, released in 2016, is titled ‘The People vs. O.J Simpson’. 

Created by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the series depicts the twists and turns of O.J.’s murder trial and examines behind-the-scenes gambits of both parties of the court.

This Netflix series got nominated for the Primetime Emmy Awards 22 times. It was also nominated at the Golden Globes. 

The movie has cast Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark, David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian, John Travolta as Robert Shapiro, Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran, Christian Clemenson as William Hodgman, and Sterling K. Brown as Christopher Darden.

In addition, Kenneth Choi has acted as Judge Lance Ito, Selma Blair as Kris Jenner, and Cuba Gooding Jr as O.J Simpson.

O.J. Simpson controversy

O.J. Simpson was an American household name because of his football and acting career and the significant controversies he has been a part of.

Simpson’s fame took a dark turn after becoming involved in the following controversies, which were internationally publicized:

murder trial

He was accused and tried in the murder of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman.

Both of the victims were murdered outside Brown’s residency in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles on June 12, 1994.

Brown and Goldman were both stabbed to death.

Freeway chase

He had not turned himself in for the murder of two.

On June 17, 1994, he became the subject of a freeway chase while riding as a passenger in a car driven by his long-time friend, Al Cowlings.

Even though the vehicle was at an acceptable speed, the pursuit, arrest, and trial of O.J Simpson were highly publicized in American history.

He was declared ‘not guilty’ of the murder.

Civil Lawsuit by Ron Goldman’s family

After Simpson was declared not guilty, Goldman’s family filed a civil lawsuit against Simpson. The case rested on January 16, 1997.  

On February 5, 1997, a civil jury in Santa Monica, California, found Simpson liable for the wrongful death and assault against Goldman.

Simpson was ordered to pay the Goldman family USD 33,500,000 in damages.

Also, in February 1999, his Heisman Trophy and other memorabilia were auctioned, and almost USD 500,000 went to Goldman’s family.

Assault and Burglary

Simpson got arrested in Miami- Dade County for assaulting and burglary of an occupied conveyance.

The case of him yanking the glasses off another motorist during a traffic dispute about three months ago was brought to light too.

However, he was tried and bailed of both charges in October 2001. 

Water Speeding

On July 4, 2002, Simpson got arrested in Miami- Dade County yet again for water speeding through a Manatee protection zone and failing to comply with boating regulations.

Simpson was fined for the speeding infraction only. 

Piracy Scandal

In March 2004, DirecTV, Inc – a satellite television network – accused O.J. Simpson of using illegal electronic devices to pirate its broadcast signals in a Miami federal court.

O.J. was found guilty and had to pay the company USD 25,000 plus $33,678 in attorney fees.

The Big Las Vegas Robbery

In September 2007, Simpson led a group of men into a bizarre robbery at the Palace Station Hotel- Casino, Las Vegas.

He wanted the sports memorabilia, which he said was stolen from him.  

Even though he held people at gunpoint, he lied about carrying a gun and breaking into the hotel room when asked by the policemen. 

He was arrested and held without bail.

Simpson and three other men were charged with multiple felony counts, including kidnapping, robbery, assault, criminal conspiracy, and using a deadly weapon.

After his three co-defendants snitched, O.J. was sentenced to 33 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after nine years.

O.J. Simpson’s release

O.J Simpson got released on October 1, 2017, after serving for nine years.

He was granted parole after the Nevada Parole Board considered Simpson’s prior record of criminal convictions and proper behavior in prison.

O.J. Simpson lawyers

O.J Simpson’s team of lawyers who helped prove him innocent was known as the ‘Dream Team.’ It included Robert Shapiro, F. Lee Bailey, Johnnie Cochran, Carl Doughlas, Robert Kardashian, Shawn Chapman, Geral Uelman, Alan Dershowitz, Barry Scheck, William Thompson, Peter Neufeld, and Robert Blasier.

Attorney F. Lee Bailey was the main lawyer for O.J Simpson. Later, Johnnie Cochran became the defense team’s lead attorney.

net worth

O.J. Simpson currently has a net worth of USD 3 million, a significant decrease from his pre-trial worth of USD 11 million. It was primarily due to his costly divorce settlement, child support payments, and the damages he had to pay to Goldman’s family.

Now, Simpson’s primary source of income is his NFL pension, which he receives regularly. Although his pension amount is unknown, retired NFL players who retired after 1998 get a monthly payout of USD 5,640.

Additionally, Simpson receives USD 1700 monthly from the Screen Actors Guild pension.

It’s worth noting that the NFL pension scheme has changed over the years. According to the 2020 CBA Agreement, the pension amount for retired players has been increased.

O.J. Simpson social media

O.J. Simpson is mostly active on Twitter as @TheRealOJ32 and has over 898.2K followers.

He also has a Facebook page by his name- O.J Simpson and has 3,980 followers, but he doesn’t seem to be active there. 

FAQs

What did O.J. Simpson do to the Kardashians?

O.J. Simpson’s relationship with the Kardashians goes way back. Robert Kardashian was O.J Simpson’s friend from college and was also a member of his legal defense team, popularly known as ‘The Dream Team. On the other hand, O.J.’s ex-wife, Nicole, whom O.J. was found not guilty of murdering, was Kris Jenner’s friend.

Kris Jenner, then, was Robert’s wife. O.J. was also the godfather of Robert Kardashian’s eldest daughter, Kim. However, in an interview with Letterman, Kim confessed that the murder trial tore her family apart. They didn’t know whether to side with their father or mother.

Did O.J. Simpson ever get convicted?

Yes, O.J. Simpson was convicted and sentenced to 33 years in prison with a minimum of nine years without parole after being charged with felonies such as armed robbery and kidnapping in 2007.

What Did OJ Simpson do to his wife?

O.J. Simpson has been found liable for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman. In addition, a letter was found where Nicole detailed O.J. physically abusing and threatening her.

Her secret diaries have found that she suffered horrific abuse for 16 years. She has written how he beat her up in 1978 and punched and kicked her in a hotel room. Her diary, his apology letter, and photos of her bruised body were found in a deposit box.

What was O.J. found guilty of?

Simpson was guilty of 12 charges, including armed robbery and kidnapping. 

He was also liable for his ex-wife and her friend’s wrongful death and double murder; however, he was found ‘nonguilty.’

Who really killed Nicole Brown Simpson?

Even after all these years, there has been no clear answer to who killed Nicole. After O.J. was found ‘not guilty, a serial killer named Glen Roger confessed to killing Nicole and Ron; however, he was lying as he was still serving his six-week jail sentence at the time of the murder.

How long did O.J. go to jail?

Orenthal Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in jail with parole in 9 years. 

How much is OJ Simpson worth?

O.J. has a net worth of roughly USD 3 million, which he earns from his pension from the NFL.

Why did the gloves not fit O.J.?

The gloves did not fit O.J. Simpson as blood covered them. That blood seeped into the leather’s fiber and shrunk the material.

Another person on Reddit has said that O.J. stopped taking his medication for arthritis which led to his hands being swollen.

What was O.J. Simpson’s net worth in 1994?

O.J. Simpson was at its peak in 1994 and had a net worth of USD 11 million.

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