OJ Simpson dead at 76 from cancer

O.J. Simpson has passed away after a yearslong bout with prostate cancer.

A family member posted a message from the former NFL star and accused murderer's X page that he "succumbed to his battle with cancer" on Wednesday.

TMZ indicated that Simpson, who was controversially acquitted in the double-murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, 35, and her friend Ronald L. Goldman, 25, had been battling prostate cancer in recent years. Simpson's attorney confirmed the death to the tabloid Thursday.

Amid reports that he had entered hospice care, Simpson posted a video in February laughing off the suggestion, stating, "Can't trust the media," and underscoring, "All is well."

Simpson grew up in San Francisco, attended the University of Southern California, and quickly demonstrated athletic prowess, especially on the grid iron. He secured the Heisman Trophy as college football's best player in 1968, having set what was then a NCAA single-season rushing record with 1,709 yards. He went on to play as a running back in the NFL.

ESPN noted that the Buffalo Bills made him the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft in 1969. Earning the nickname "The Juice," he subsequently made five first-team All-Pro squads and six Pro Bowls. He outdid his college best in the pro league, rushing for 2,000 yards in a single season to secure the MVP title in 1973. After nine years with the Buffalo Bills, he spent his final two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

After hanging up his jersey, Simpson launched an acting career, appearing in commercials for companies such as Hertz and working as a commentator for "Monday Night Football." His acting career was, however, short-lived.

In 1994, his ex-wife and her friend were brutally murdered. Simpson, the prime suspect, elected not to turn himself in for days and finally took police on a chase throughout Los Angeles.

In 1989, years prior to Nicole Simpson's death, police responding to an anonymous phone call reportedly found the future murder victim bruised and battered with a handprint visible on her neck. The athlete's future ex-wife claimed, "He's going to kill me, he's going to kill me," reported the Los Angeles Times.

In an Oct. 25, 1993, recording of a 911 call made after their divorce, Nicole Simpson can be heard pleading for help, stating that Simpson had broken down her door and had gone "nuts."

Despite a widespread presumption of guilt on the basis of such hints about the athlete's character and various clues in the case, Simpson — who later penned a "fictional memoir" entitled "If I Did It" — was acquitted in 1995. He was, however, ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages in a subsequent civil trial.

While he was not convicted for murder, he nevertheless found his way inside a jail cell.

Simpson was convicted and sentenced in 2008 to 33 years in prison for armed robbery, kidnapping, conspiracy, and other charges, after attempting to steal memorabilia in a Las Vegas hotel room that he claimed had previously been stolen from him. The Times indicated that he served nine years of the 33-year sentence at Lovelock Correction Center, 90 miles northeast of Reno.

Simpson was released from prison in October 2017 after the parole board voted unanimously in his favor.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!