“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” a post on X, formerly Twitter, stated. “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.”Orenthal James Simpson, nicknamed “Juice” for his initials, was considered one of the best running backs to ever play the game.
He was 13 when his idol, Willie Mays, appeared one day at his door. A youth counselor had appealed for help with a spectacular young athlete headed for trouble. The star center fielder for the San Francisco Giants spent the afternoon with O.J., even taking him to his huge house in a wealthy section of the city.
Simpson and his first wife, Whitley, smile happily at a press conference after he was named winner of the 1968 Heisman Trophy. The following year, he was selected as the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick by the Buffalo Bills.and sports analyst. But it all came to a screeching halt in 1994, when Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, wereoutside Brown Simpson’s condominium in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Simpson is survived by four children. His two children with Brown Simpson — daughter Sydney and son Justin — were asleep inside the condo during their mother’s murder, but as adults they have largely remained silent about the killing. Simpson’s mother, who testified on his behalf during the murder trial, died in 2001.At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions.