Summary
- O.J. Simpson has passed away at 76 after battling cancer, as announced by his family on social media.
- Simpson’s family requests privacy and grace during this difficult time of transition.
- He was reportedly battling prostate cancer. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
Former NFL star O.J. Simpson has died aged 76 after a battle with cancer, his family have announced.
A statement shared on his social media accounts 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 had reportedly been battling prostate cancer.
Orenthal James “O.J.” Simpson rose to fame thanks to his impeccable career as an NFL footballer, regarded as one of the best running backs in the game. He later turned to acting in movies, including The Naked Gun trilogy, and he appeared to be set to make that his new venture following his years as an athlete. However, things didn’t work out that way when he was accused of the murder of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, in 1994. His subsequent acquittal in 1995 was a pivotal moment that polarized national opinion and effectively ended his career in Hollywood.
O.J. Simpson’s football began in his college days at USC, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1968 for being the best player in collegiate football. Progressing to the NFL, Simpson had a record-breaking run with the Buffalo Bills, where he became the first player to rush over 2,000 yards in a single season. He continued to excel in his field, and his single-season yards-per-game average of 143.1 remains unrivaled. Simpson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
Simpson’s transition to acting began in the 1970s, but the actor’s first big role was playing the bumbling police officer Nordberg in The Naked Gun. Starring alongside Leslie Neilsen and Gordon Kennedy, Simpson appeared in all three movies, with The Naked Gun 33 1/3 becoming his last movie, released in the same year that he became the subject of one of America’s most notorious murder trials.
This is a developing story. Please check back for more details.
