'No great loss,' 'some sort of justice': Football star OJ Simpson's death gets mixed reactions
There have been mixed reactions to the death of American football star OJ Simpson, who was controversially acquitted of double murder charges in 1995.
In 1994, Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman were found murdered outside her home in Los Angeles.
Brown had been stabbed in the throat so savagely she had almost been decapitated. Simpson immediately became the prime suspect.
Five days after the murders, he led police on a wild car chase which was broadcast live and watched by millions.
He eventually surrendered and went on trial in January 1995.
The trial, which became a media sensation, ended in a not-guilty verdict, dividing the United States.
Brought back the grief
Goldman’s father Fred told NBC News that Simpson’s death only further underscored his grief for his son.
"It’s no great loss to the world,” Fred said of Simpson’s death. “It’s a further reminder of Ron’s being gone."
Media personality Caitlyn Jenner, who married Kris Jenner—the wife of the late Robert Kardashian, one of Simpson’s lawyers—had a two-word tweet about the football player: “Good Riddance.”
Keith Zlomsowitch, Brown’s ex-boyfriend, told NBC that Simpson's death was a "relief."
"I think finally some sort of justice has been served, that he’s been taken from the earth," Zlomsowitch said. "So it doesn’t bring Nicole back. But it means he can no longer be who he is in this world."
Internet personality Dan Katz on X said Simpson was a “way better football player than [a] person.”
'He was doing things for athletes'
Meanwhile, Alan Dershowitz, the adviser of Simpson's legal team told NBC that he was saddened to learn that his one-time client had died.
"I knew he was very sick, so I'm upset that he died," Dershowitz is quoted as saying. "I got to know him fairly well during the trial. It was one of the most divisive trials in American history along racial lines. He'll always be remembered for the Bronco chase, for the glove and for the moment of acquittal."
Simpson was also recognized for his achievements in sports.
“O.J. Simpson was the first player to reach a rushing mark many thought could not be attained in a 14-game season when he topped 2,000 yards. His on-field contributions will be preserved in the hall’s archives in Canton, Ohio,” said Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter.
Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure tolld AP that "he did a lot for the Black race even though he didn’t know it."
"He wasn’t Muhammad Ali or anything, but he was doing things for athletes and not just Black athletes, but he kicked us into a really big thing," he said.
Former basketball player Magic Johnson tweeted that he and his wife Cookie are praying for his family. “I know this is a difficult time.”
Simpson’s family announced that he died of cancer on April 10, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He was 76.
Simpson’s nine-month trial, dubbed as the trial of the century, has been the subject of several television shows, books, and documentaries.
An episode of the 2016 anthology television series titled The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story won multiple Emmy awards including outstanding limited series.