OJ Simpson has died aged 76
Jess Hardiman
Featured Image Credit: Jason Bean-Pool/Getty Images/Lee Celano/WireImage/Getty Images
OJ Simpson has died at the age of 76, his family have confirmed.
A statement from the family said: "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."
OJ was an NFL star who was most famous for playing with the Buffalo Bills as a running back.
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After retiring from sport, he also embarked on an acting career, starring in three Naked Gun films, among others.
In the 1990s, OJ was at the centre of one of the most highly publicised murder cases in recent history, having been accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman, who were found stabbed to death on the night of 12 June 1994.
The case kicked off an 11-month trial that attracted global attention, with around 150 million people watching as OJ was given a hugely controversial not guilty verdict on 3 October 1995.
OJ, 75, was later found responsible for the pair's deaths in a civil trial, but has always maintained that he is innocent.
The star had famously included friend Robert Kardashian - father of Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Robert Jr. - on his defence team, having previously served as best man for his wedding to Kris Jenner.
Kim, who was 13 when the trial began, said her dad pulled her and a 14-year-old Kourtney out of school because he wanted them to 'witness a piece of history' and see 'what a trial is like'.
She told GQ last year: "We walked in and saw my mom sitting on the other side. She said, ‘You’re supposed to be in school. What are you doing here?’ Kourtney and I didn’t even look at her.”
Kris had been close friends with Nicole, while Robert remained loyal to OJ throughout the trial.
“That was really tough for our family,” Kim said of the 15 months between arraignment and acquittal, when her parents were on different sides.
“Kourtney and I were drawn to our dad. We felt like Mom was happily remarried, so we would live with Dad. We didn’t want him to be by himself.”
After being convicted in 2008 for armed robbery and kidnapping, OJ was also sentenced to 33 years' imprisonment with a minimum of nine years without parole. He was released in October 2017.