Simpson ended his NFL career in 1979 and then turned to acting – but he was probably best known for the high-profile murder trial against him.
– You can compare him a bit with the role that the Kardashian family has in American celebrity culture today. He was incredibly famous when this case began, says journalist Martin Gelin, who has covered the United States for many years.
“The trial of the century”
In 1995, OJ Simpson was acquitted after being charged with stabbing his ex-wife and her friend to death.
The trial, which was televised and followed by millions of viewers worldwide, has been called “the trial of the century”.
Simpson could also be followed by the television viewers when, after a car chase through Los Angeles, he was finally arrested by the police.
Polarized USA
According to Martin Gelin, the fact that American media channels had just started 24/7 reporting at the time and needed material to fill their broadcasts contributed to the disproportionate attention.
– It was so politically and culturally explosive. The media was completely obsessed with the case throughout the process.
The trial also shed light on the polarization between whites and blacks in the United States.
– You saw in opinion polls that whites already decided in advance that he was guilty and blacks already decided in advance that he was innocent. Those opinions remained regardless of what evidence came to light.
Convicted of robbery
In September 2007, Simpson was once again in the spotlight when he was convicted of armed robbery, kidnapping and burglary. He was sentenced to a long prison term and only became a free man in October 2017.
Simpson has also written the book “If I Did It”, which according to many is seen as a hypothetical confession of the murders.
The family writes that OJ Simpson died in the presence of his children and grandchildren.