O.J. Simpson dies at age 76

O.J. Simpson died following a cancer battle, his family announced Thursday. He was 76.

"On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer," his family wrote in a post on Simpson's account on X, formerly Twitter. 

Simpson, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, passed away while his children and grandchildren surrounded him.

"During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace," the statement added.

Simpson was also acquitted of the brutal 1994 murder of his ex-wife, Nichole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman

The televised trial, which has been deemed the trial of the century, has been subsequently dramatized in TV, movies and documentaries. 

In 1997, a  civil jury found Simpson liable for their murders and he was ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages to their families. 

Simpson stirred up controversy in 2007 after writing the book, "If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer," in which Simpson supposedly hypothesized what he would have done if he murdered his wife and her friend. The royalties from the book went to the Goldman family to help satisfy the damages that Simpson was required to pay them.

The same year he wrote the book, Simpson was arrested and charged with armed robbery and kidnapping in Nevada, and he was granted early release in 2021. 

In recent years, he has been active on social media, but his last post on X was two months ago.

Follow Madeleine Hubbard on X or Instagram.