OJ Simpson’s biggest scandals: Murder trial, trophy heist and ill-advised ‘If I Did It’ book
After sensationally being acquitted of murdering ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in 1995, OJ Simpson remained in the public spotlight for years marred by controversies and scandals.
The once-beloved Pro Football Hall of Famer, who lost his battle with prostate cancer on Wednesday, had a knack for getting into trouble long after his highly publicized court battle for the 1994 double murder.
While most remember Simpson, 76, from the courtroom, others got acquainted with the ex-Buffalo Bills star from his arrest while trying steal back his sports memorabilia in Las Vegas, or when he tried to cash in on his notoriety with a poorly titled book, or when he starred in a prank show and bizarre rap music video called “Get Juiced.”
Even in the last months of his life, Simpson continued to make headlines with his awkward jokes referencing the infamous trail, capping off his controversial legacy.
‘Juiced’: That Time OJ Had a Prank Show — 2006
Back in the era of pay-per-view and special-edition DVDs, Simpson returned to America’s television sets on a Punked-esque hidden-camera prank show called, ‘Juiced.’
The show featured Simpson infiltrating a business, sometimes in disguise, provoking customers to their breaking point until they snapped, triggering Simpson to finish off with his catchphrase, “You’ve been Juiced.”
One sketch allegedly had Simpson visiting a used-car lot to sell a white Ford Bronco, joking that “It helped me get away,” referencing his notorious 1994 police car chase, the LA Times reported.
There are also several cuts to topless women dancing around Simpson as transitions from sketch to sketch.
Rick Mahr, one of the executive producers for the show who was also behind such other controversial projects as “Bum Fights” and “Backyard Wrestling,” told the AP Simpson did no receive any money for the show and did it “because he wants to do it, and he wanted to have fun with it.”
If I Did it: Confessions of the Killer — Sept. 13, 2007
Twelve years after the contentious murder trial that shocked the nation, Simpson and ghost writer Pablo Fenjves wrote a book titled, “OJ Simpson: If I Did It, Here’s How It Happened.”
The controversial novel put forth a hypothetical narrative detailing how Brown-Simpson and Goldman were slain and what happened on the night of their murders.
In the narrative, OJ describes in the chapter “The Night In Question” being at Brown-Simpson’s house with a friend called ‘Charlie’ and confronting her and Goldman.
He then says he blacks out for a few moments and when he comes to the pair are in “giant pools of blood”.
Plans for the book and a TV special were ultimately scrapped following intense backlash over how Simpson would benefit from the murders.
A Florida bankruptcy court, however, awarded the rights to the book to the Goldman family, who made alterations to it and publisehd it under the title: “If I Did it: Confessions of the Killer,” to recoup some of the $33 million OJ was ordered to pay them after a civil court found him responsible for the death of their son.
Las Vegas Memorabilia Robbery — Sept. 16. 2007
Simpson was arrested on Sept. 16, 2007 in connection to an armed robbery at a Las Vegas hotel and casino aimed at “stealing back” his own memorabilia.
Simpson admitted to police he was one of the men behind the robbery of Alfred Beardsley, a sports-memorabilia collector and former pal of Simpson, who was allegedly looking to sell his Hall of Fame certificate and a picture of him with J. Edgar Hoover, among other items.
The former running back was forced to relinquish much of his memorabilia to auction to pay the Goldmans following his civil suit loss in 1997, where he was ordered to pay them $33.5 million in damages.
Simpson was found guilty over the botched Vegas robbery and sentenced to up to 33 years behind bars on October 3, 2008 — exactly 13 years to the day he had been acquitted of murder.
He was ultimately granted parole in 2017 at the age of 70.
‘Get Juiced’: The Rap Song Behind the Prank Show — 2008
Before his conviction over the Las Vegas robbery, Simpson saw the release of his first ever “gangsta rap” music video titled, “Get Juiced.”
The song, which was initially part of a promotion for the “Juiced” prank show, features Simpson dressed like a pimp surrounded by topless dancers and includes cuts of the Juice in a recording booth wearing a curly wig and in an Elvis Presley suit.
In the video, Simpson boasts the nonsensical lyrics: “Don’t you know there’s no stopping the Juice. When I’m on the floor I’m like a lion on the loose. Better shoot me with a tranquilizer dart. Don’t be stupid, I’m not a Simpson named Bart.”
Stay updated with the latest coverage of OJ Simpson’s death
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Awkward 9/11 Joke — Sept. 13, 2023
Despite laying low following being paroled in 2017, Simpson became the object of public scorn once again after making a 9/11 comment on the “It Is What It Is” podcast.
Discussing Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending Achilles tendon injury on the anniversary of the terrorist attack, Simpson said: “The Jets are still going to be good, and that kid [Zach Wilson] learned a lot from Aaron. Unfortunately, 9/11 is just a bad date for New York.”
While the joke garnered laughs from hosts Cam’ron, Ma$e & Treasure “Stat Baby” Wilson, with Simpson also chuckling at his own humor, many took to X to slam it as “insensitive.”
“Leave Me Out Of The Confession” — Feb. 5, 2024
Returning to the “It Is What It Is” podcast just days before his prostate cancer diagnosis would be made public, Simpson made another cringe-inducing joke, this time referencing the 1994 murders.
Simpson joked about not wanting to do any “confessing” after he was asked to respond to Shaquille O’Neal’s comments about sharing secrets with women.
“When you say ‘open up to women,’ I don’t know what he’s talking about,” he said. “Is he talking about confessing? No man, don’t confess. I think he’s right. Don’t say nothing … leave me out of the confession.
“Y’all gotta leave me out of this one,” he concluded.
