O.J. Simpson dies at 76
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
O.J. Simpson has died at age 76, according to his family.
The former USC football great, who was accused of but then acquitted of the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife and her friend, “succumbed to his battle with cancer” on Wednesday, the family announced on social media.
“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren,” a statement from the Simpson family reads. “During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”
Simpson famously won the Heisman Trophy in 1968 while starring at running back for the Trojans. He then went on to have a successful NFL career as a member of the Buffalo Bills.
He was later inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Following his playing career, Simpson became an actor and TV pitchman.
In 1994, he was accused of murdering his ex-wife and was involved in a televised low-speed car chase in his white Ford Bronco. Footage of the police pursuit around Los Angeles gripped the nation.
His trial in 1995 — known as the “Trial of the Century” — was of national import, and Simpson ultimately was acquitted of two counts of murder, though, in a later civil case, a jury found Simpson liable for the double murder. He later served nine years in prison for his role in a botched armed robbery.
