O.J. Simpson dead after cancer battle at 76
Sportscaster Jim Gray reflected on the life and legacy of Orenthal James Simpson, who passed away after losing his battle with cancer.
Former NFL running back O.J. Simpson has passed away, according to his family. He was 76.
"On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer," they wrote on X.
He died surrounded by his children and grandchildren, they said.
His bout with cancer was mostly kept from the public.
O.J. SIMPSON MURDER TRIAL PROSECUTOR RECEIVES SUPPORT FROM JUDGE ON JUDICIAL CAMPAIGN
O.J. Simpson is seen on Nov. 12, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Mega/GC Images)
"During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace," the statement added.
Simpson was widely regarded as a legendary running back — and perhaps one of the best running backs of all time — but his fame was eclipsed by the double murder trial of his ex-wife and her friend.
He became embroiled in a murder trial following a June 1994 arrest in connection with the brutal slayings of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman. Simpson was 46 years old at the time.
O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson pose at the premiere of "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" in Los Angeles on March 16, 1994.
On June 21, 1994, Simpson was arraigned and pleaded not guilty.
His status as an accused double murderer rocked the country and his courtroom trials captivated households. His fall from grace continued throughout the mid-'90s and early 2000s.
That murder case, dubbed "The Trial of the Century," received international press attention and was recently dramatized in the popular TV show, "The People v. O.J. Simpson." It was also examined in the 2016 documentary, "OJ: Made in America."
The case's enormous popularity stemmed from Simpson's fame and whether he was innocent — or whether he was guilty and he got away with it.
O.J. Simpson holds up his hands before the jury on June 21, 1995, after putting on a new pair of gloves similar to the infamous bloody gloves during his double-murder trial in Los Angeles. (Vince Bucci/Pool/AP)
O.J. Simpson shows the jury a new pair of Aris extra-large gloves, similar to the gloves found at the Bundy and Rockingham crime scene on June 21, 1995, during his double murder trial in Los Angeles. (Vince Bucci/AFP via Getty Images)
A glove was recovered at the scene, but DNA evidence was relatively unknown technology at the time. Simpson's lawyer, Johnnie Cochran Jr., famously proclaimed that if the glove "doesn't fit, you must acquit."
The trial ended on Oct. 3, 1995, when Simpson was acquitted in the 1994 murders.
Murder defendant O.J. Simpson, center, listens to the not guilty verdict with his attorneys F. Lee Bailey, left, and Johnnie Cochran Jr, right. Simpson was found not guilty of killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown-Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. (Myung J. Chun/AFP/Getty Images)
The acquittal came nine months after the trial began — or about 16 months after Brown Simpson and Goldman were found murdered outside her home in Los Angeles.
After Simpson was found not guilty, the Goldman and Brown families sued Simpson in civil court, alleging wrongful death.
The civil trial began in October 1996 and Simpson was later found to be responsible for the deaths.
His legal problems continued years later when he was arrested in Las Vegas for robbing two sports memorabilia collectors at gunpoint in 2007.
O.J. Simpson attends his parole hearing at Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada, on July 20, 2017. (Jason Bean-Pool/Getty Images)
O.J. Simpson reacts after learning he was granted parole at Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada, on July 20, 2017. (Jason Bean-Pool/Getty Images)
Simpson said during trial that he only wanted to take back personal items and family photos that were taken from him after the 1995 acquittal.
He was subsequently convicted of armed robbery in 2008 and sentenced to 33 years in prison, with a minimum of nine years before he was eligible for parole.
O.J. Simpson leaves court after closing arguments for his trial at the Clark County Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas on Oct. 2, 2008. Simpson and co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart are standing trial on 12 charges, including felony kidnapping, armed robbery and conspiracy related to a 2007 confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel. (Steve Marcus-Pool/Getty Images)
Nine years later, Simpson was released from prison in October 2017.
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Buffalo Bills running back O.J. Simpson breaks away from Pittsburgh Steelers tacklers Jack Russell, left, and Andy Russell to run for a touchdown in the third quarter of their NFL game on Sept. 28, 1975. (Getty Images)
Simpson played in the NFL for 11 seasons after the Buffalo Bills selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1969 NFL draft. He later played with the San Francisco 49ers.
Running back O.J. Simpson of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on Oct. 7, 1979. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
He won the MVP during his 1973 season, when he rushed for more than 2,000 yards — the first back in NFL history to do so.
Simpson still holds the NFL record for rushing yards per game, a record he set by averaging 143.1 yards per game during the 1973 season.
This report is developing and will be updated with additional information.
Fox News' Paul Best contributed to this report.
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