O.J. Simpson Passes Away at 76 After Battle with Cancer

LAS VEGAS — O.J. Simpson, the former NFL superstar turned actor, whose life was overshadowed by legal controversies, has died at the age of 76. His family confirmed on his official X account that he passed away in Las Vegas on Wednesday following a battle with prostate cancer.

In their statement, the family shared, "On April 10th, our father, Orenthal Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer, surrounded by his children and grandchildren." They have requested privacy during this period of mourning.

Simpson, renowned for his athletic prowess and Hollywood fame, became a figure of national controversy following the 1994 murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. The subsequent trial, where Simpson led a memorable slow-speed chase in a white Ford Bronco, captivated millions and was dubbed the "trial of the century."

Before the murder case, Simpson had achieved fame as a Heisman Trophy winner for the University of Southern California, a successful advertising pitchman, and an actor in the "The Naked Gun" film series. However, the legal drama that ensued after the 1994 murders drastically altered public perception of him.

Despite being acquitted in the criminal murder trial in 1995, Simpson was later found liable in a civil trial for the deaths of Brown and Goldman, resulting in a significant financial judgment against him. His legal troubles continued into the late 2000s, culminating in a conviction for armed robbery in Las Vegas, leading to a nine-year prison sentence, of which he served nine years before being paroled in 2017.

Simpson's life, rife with achievements and controversies, came to an end after a lengthy fight with cancer, closing a chapter on one of the most polarizing figures in American pop culture and sports history.