O.J. Simpson passed away at 76 after a long fight with prostate cancer, according to multiple sources. His life, marred by notorious legal troubles, ended in Las Vegas on April 10. In his final moments, Simpson was accompanied by his children and grandchildren, marking a quiet end to a life that once captivated the nation’s attention for both laudable and infamous reasons.
“On April 10, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” Simpson’s family wrote in a statement posted on Twitter (X). “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.”
It was reported in February that the former sports star had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and was undergoing treatment. Despite a successful NFL career, Simpson was best known for going on trial for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in 1995. He was acquitted of the charges. Simpson was later sentenced to 33 years in prison after being found guilty of armed robbery and kidnapping in 2008. He served nine years in a Nevada prison and was granted parole in 2017.
Before his death, Simpson experienced an unexpected resurgence in popularity, thanks in part to his involvement with Hip-Hop culture through Cam’ron and Mase’s sports show, “It Is What It Is.”
Simpson appeared several times on the show and despite the inescapable shadow of his past, he found a welcoming audience. Listeners tuned in, drawn by curiosity, Cam’ron’s audacious commentary and hot takes on sports.
Cam’ron even defended his choice, citing a belief in Simpson’s innocence regarding the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Simpson’s death closes a chapter on an individual whose life story is inextricably linked with the American legal system, media and in his later years, an unexpected association with Hip-Hop culture.
