Guernsey Press

OJ Simpson says his life is ‘fine’ 25 years after murders

The former American football star and actor was found not guilty of the murders in what was dubbed The Trial Of The Century.

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OJ Simpson says his life has entered the “no negative zone”.

In a telephone interview ahead of the 25th anniversary of the murders that saw him tried and acquitted, Simpson said he is healthy and happy living in Las Vegas.

And neither he nor his children want to look back by talking about June 12 1994, when his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, were killed and Simpson quickly was transformed in the public mind from revered Pro American Football Hall of Fame hero to murder suspect.

“We don’t need to go back and relive the worst day of our lives,” Simpson said.

“The subject of the moment is the subject I will never revisit again.

“My family and I have moved on to what we call the ‘no negative zone’.

“We focus on the positives.”

For a man who once lived for the spotlight , Simpson has been keeping a largely low profile since his release from prison in October 2017 after serving nine years for a robbery-kidnapping conviction in Las Vegas.

He continues to believe his conviction and sentence for trying to steal back his own memorabilia were unfair but said: “I believe in the legal system and I honoured it.

OJ Simpson 25 Years AP Was There
OJ Simpson sits in his lawyer’s car after being questioned by Los Angeles police into the death of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman (Nick Ut/AP)

After his release from the prison in Lovelock, Nevada, many expected him to return to Florida where he had lived for several years.

But friends in Las Vegas persuaded him to stay there despite the case that landed him in prison.

He is glad he did.

“The town has been good to me,” Simpson said.

“Everybody I meet seems to be apologising for what happened to me here.”

His time in the city has not been without controversy, however.

OJ Simpson
A white Ford Bronco, driven by Al Cowlings carrying OJ Simpson, is trailed by Los Angeles police cars as it travels on a road in Los Angeles (Joseph R. Villarin/AP)

Simpson was ordered off the property and prohibited from returning.

No such problems have occurred since, and Simpson is among the most sought-after figures in town for selfies with those who encounter him at restaurants or athletic events he attends occasionally.

He plays golf almost every day and said he is a member of a club of “retired guys” who compete with each other on the golf course.

The knees that helped him run to football glory at the University of Southern California and with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills have been replaced and he recently had Lasik surgery on his eyes.

But nearing his 72nd birthday, he is otherwise healthy.

Simpson said he remains close to his children and other relatives.

OJ Simpson
Victims Nicole Brown Simpson, left, and Ron Goldman (AP)

His older daughter, Arnelle, lives with him much of the time but also commutes to Los Angeles.

“I’ve been to Florida two or three times to see the kids and my old buddies in Miami.

“I even managed to play a game of golf with them,” he said.

“But I live in a town I’ve learned to love. Life is fine.”

OJ Simpson
OJ Simpson with his then publicist Max Clifford at Heathrow Airport(Tim Ockenden/PA)

Recently, a family wedding brought his extended family to Las Vegas including his brother, Truman; sister, Shirley; and their children and grandchildren.

Simpson’s first wife, Marguerite, mother of Arnelle, also joined the group.

The glamour of his early life is just a memory.

After his sporting career, Simpson became a commercial pitchman, actor and American football commentator.

He was once a multimillionaire but he says most of his fortune was spent defending himself after he was charged with the murders.

His televised Trial Of The Century lasted nearly a year and became a national obsession.

OJ Simpson 25 Years AP Was There
OJ Simpson, daughter Sydney and son Justin arrive at a private funeral for his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson (Eric Draper/AP)

The murder case is officially listed as unsolved.

The families of the victims subsequently filed a civil suit against him, and in 1997 a civil court awarded a 33.5 million US dollars judgment against him for the wrongful deaths of his ex-wife and Goldman.

Some of his property was seized and auctioned but most of the judgment has not been paid.

Simpson declined to discuss his finances other than to say he lives on pensions.

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