Former NFL star OJ Simpson has died at the age of 76 following a battle against cancer.
In a short statement on X, Simpson’s family confirmed the news.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” the statement read. “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.”
Simpson was one of the leading NFL stars of his generation, becoming the first running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season in 1973 when he won the NFL Most Valuable Player award.
During a nine-season run with the Buffalo Bills, Simpson was voted to five Pro Bowls and named a First-team All-Pro five times. He ended his career with a two-year stint at the San Francisco 49ers and would later be named on the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time teams.
Simpson would move into acting following his NFL career, starring in films such as The Towering Inferno and Naked Gun, before being accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman after the pair were found stabbed to death outside her LA home.
Simpson would plead not guilty and was acquitted by a jury following one of the most high-profile trials in American legal history. He would later be found responsible for wrongful death and battery in a civil lawsuit from the victims’ families and was ordered to pay more the $30million in damages.
He would then be convicted of armed robbery in Las Vegas in 2007 and was sentenced to 33 years in prison, serving ten. Last summer he underwent emergency heart surgery as his health declined.