O.J. Simpson dead at 76 after battle with cancer: family
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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — O.J. Simpson has died at 76 after a battle with cancer, according to a Twitter post from his children.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” the post read.
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Simpson 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.”
WFLA will be streaming about Simpson’s death live in the video player above.
FILE – In this Dec. 16, 1979 file photo, San Francisco 49ers running back O.J. Simpson is escorted from the field by police after the final NFL football game of his career against in the Atlanta Falcons at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. Simpson retired from football after the 1979 season, later being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and beginning careers in acting and football broadcasting. A Nevada prison official said early Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, O.J. Simpson, the former football legend and Hollywood star, has been released from a Nevada prison in Lovelock after serving nine years for armed robbery. (AP Photo, File) Former football legend O.J. Simpson signs documents at the Lovelock Correctional Center, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, in Lovelock, Nev. Simpson was released from the Lovelock Correctional Center in northern Nevada early Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017. (Brooke Keast/Nevada Department of Corrections via AP) FILE – In this Aug. 1, 1978. file photo, O.J. Simpson of the San Francisco 49ers is shown on the field drinking water in San Francisco. O.J. Simpson’s release from a Nevada prison turns another page in one of the most dramatic falls from grace in American pop culture history. A beloved college and pro football hero in the 1960s and ’70s, Simpson went on to become a movie star, sports commentator and TV pitchman in the years before the 1994 killings of his ex-wife and her friend in Los Angeles. A Nevada prison official said early Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, O.J. Simpson, the former football legend and Hollywood star, has been released from a Nevada prison in Lovelock after serving nine years for armed robbery. (AP Photo, File) FILE – In this June 13, 1994, file photo, former pro running back O.J. Simpson hangs his head as he sits in his attorney’s car after being questioned by Los Angeles Police into the death of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. The bodies of the 35-year-old woman and an unidentified 26-year-old man, apparent stabbing victims, were discovered after midnight Sunday in her Los Angeles area home. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File) FILE – In this July 20, 2017, file photo, former NFL football star O.J. Simpson appears via video for his parole hearing at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nev. The 74-year-old former football hero, acquitted California murder defendant and convicted Las Vegas armed robber was granted good behavior credits and discharged from parole effective Dec. 1, the day after a hearing before the Nevada state Board of Parole, Kim Yoko Smith, spokeswoman for the Nevada State Police, said Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. (Jason Bean/The Reno Gazette-Journal via AP, Pool, File) FILE – In this June 5, 1997, file photo, O.J. Simpson reacts as he puts on socks inside his home during a rare at-home interview with The Associated Press in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles. Three years and two trials after his ex-wife’s slaying, O.J. says he’s resigned to a future clouded by public disdain and financial ruin but is buoyed by loyal friends and the challenge of raising two children. February 1997: After a trial in a civil suit filed by the victims’ families, a jury finds Simpson liable for the deaths and orders he pay survivors $33.5 million. A Nevada prison official said early Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, O.J. Simpson, the former football legend and Hollywood star, has been released from a Nevada prison in Lovelock after serving nine years for armed robbery. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
Simpson, who stood trial for the double-murder of his ex-wife and her friend in the 1990s, was reportedly in Las Vegas at the time of his passing, according to TMZ.
The former NFL player was reportedly diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year and undergoing chemotherapy. In a Feb. 9 post to X, Simpson spoke out against rumors that he was in hospice care, saying at the time that “all is well” and that he was not in hospice.
In a video posted a couple of days later, Simpson said, “Obviously, I’m dealing with some issues, but I think I’m just about over it.”
Simpson, a San Francisco native, originally captured the nation’s attention when he won the Heisman Trophy in 1968 while playing for the University of Southern California. He was selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft the following year by the Buffalo Bills.
The running back became a leading rusher in the league during the 1970s and was named MVP in 1973. During his time in the NFL, Simpson made six Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro selection five times. He was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
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