NFL Hall of Fame running back and controversially acquitted murder suspect O.J. Simpson has died.
Simpson's family announced the news on social media.
Simpson had been battling an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
A Las Vegas news station reported in February that Simpson was receiving hospice care while undergoing chemotherapy to prolong his life.
On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.
— O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) April 11, 2024
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.
-The Simpson Family
Simpson denied the rumors when confronted.
“Hospice! You talking about hospice?” he said with a laugh in a video featuring him inside his car. “No, I'm not even in the hospital. I don't know who put that out there.”
Three months later, Simpson posted on X that he was using medical marijuana to ease side effects of his recent cancer diagnosis.
“I had to do the whole chemo thing … I started smoking a couple of puffs a day, and I only had nausea twice. I'm over the chemo. I only got nauseous on two occasions. … The pot really helped me with the unfortunate side of catching cancer,” Simpson said.
“I'm healthy now,” he claimed. “It looks like I beat it. I'm happy about that.”
Though he gained fame for his outstanding performance with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers, Simpson later became infamous after being accused of brutally murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. Although he was, and remained, the prime suspect in the double murder, Simpson was acquitted thanks in part to an all-star defense team that convinced the jury that the DNA evidence found at the scene was “compromised, contaminated, corrupted.”
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