Today, Caitlyn Jenner marked OJ Simpson’s passing by tweeting ‘Good Riddance’ at the age of 76. This comes three decades after the infamous ‘trial of the century’ that fractured the Kardashian family. Jenner, 74, was married to Kris Jenner during the tragic events of June 1994 when her close friend Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman were murdered in Los Angeles. Despite Nicole and OJ’s divorce two years prior, they continued to co-parent and share moments with the Kardashian-Jenner clan.
During the trial, prosecutors portrayed OJ Simpson as a jealous ex who committed the murders of Nicole and Goldman in a fit of rage, alleging he couldn’t bear the thought of her being with anyone else.
Adding to the familial turmoil, Kris’s former spouse, Robert Kardashian, opted to defend OJ in court, a choice that cast a long shadow over the family for years to come.
Caitlyn Jenner responds to OJ Simpson’s passing, three decades after the incident that tore the Kardashian family apart: ‘Good riddance.’
Despite a substantial amount of evidence against him and the firm conviction of Nicole’s friends that he was responsible for the deaths, OJ was shockingly acquitted of the killings.
In Caitlyn’s memoir, “The Secrets Of My Life,” she delivers a scathing critique of the former NFL star, describing him as the most narcissistic and egocentric athlete she had ever encountered.
OJ and Nicole’s children, Sydney and Justin, have yet to make individual statements. However, a statement on OJ’s official Twitter account announced his passing, mentioning that he died surrounded by family.
While his other children from a previous marriage remained close to him until his death, his first wife, Marguerite, had a child named Aaren with him who tragically passed away before her second birthday in a pool drowning accident.
Nicole Brown’s family has not publicly addressed his death, but Ron Goldman’s father expressed that Simpson’s passing doesn’t affect him greatly, emphasizing that it serves as a painful reminder of his son’s loss.
The family of OJ Simpson has announced his passing at the age of 76 due to cancer on Wednesday. Below is a recent image of Simpson taken in Las Vegas earlier this year.
Simpson’s family issued a statement confirming his passing on Thursday.
“It serves as a poignant reminder of my son’s tragic murder and the years we’ve spent without Ron,” the statement read.
“His death underscores the fact that Ron and Nicole were victims of his actions. I won’t dwell on my thoughts regarding his passing,” the statement continued.
“I have no words for him. My focus remains on honoring my son’s memory,” it concluded.
During Simpson’s murder trial for the 1994 deaths of Brown and Goldman, Robert Kardashian served as one of his defense attorneys.
When asked about watching OJ’s trial, Jenner expressed the profound difficulty of the situation.
“It was an incredibly challenging time,” Jenner recalled. “Nicole was Kris’ closest friend for years.”
“I was with Nicole just two days before the tragedy,” Jenner continued.
“It’s clear he did it, and he managed to evade justice. At one point, he even told Nicole, ‘I could kill you and get away with it because I’m O.J. Simpson.'”
“Tragically, Nicole relayed that to Kris, and sadly, she was proven right,” Jenner concluded.
Simpson was acquitted in the criminal trial but was later found civilly liable for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown. Below is a photo of the couple taken in New York in 1993.
Brown was discovered brutally stabbed to death alongside her friend Ron Goldman outside her residence in Los Angeles.
OJ passed away at the age of 76 at his residence in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, after battling prostate cancer.
Kris was previously married to Robert Kardashian Sr., who served as one of OJ’s defense attorneys during Simpson’s trial for the 1994 murders of Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. Robert passed away from esophageal cancer in 2003.
One of the trial’s most iconic moments occurred when OJ tried on gloves in front of the jury.
Caitlyn recounted, “We were at the courthouse, watching events unfold in the adjacent room. Even after the not guilty verdict, Kris turned to me and said, ‘We should have listened to Nicole. She was right from the beginning.'”
In 1997, Simpson was found liable for the deaths in a civil case filed by the victims’ families.
In 2008, Simpson was convicted for his involvement in the armed robbery and kidnapping of two sports memorabilia dealers in Las Vegas. He was released from prison in 2017 after serving nine years.
In her 2017 autobiography, “The Secrets Of My Life,” Caitlyn revealed her unfavorable opinion of the Naked Gun actor.
In 1997, Simpson was found responsible for the deaths in a civil case filed by the families of the two victims. In 2008, he was convicted for his involvement in the armed robbery and kidnapping of two sports memorabilia dealers in Las Vegas. After serving nine years, he was released from prison in 2017. The accompanying image is from 1994.
The former Olympian reflected on their shared experience emerging from the realm of male athleticism, laden with its stereotypes and expected behaviors, which they termed the “male athlete gender.”
They grappled with their discomfort within this milieu, exacerbated by the pervasive objectification of women and relentless boasts about sexual exploits, prompting skepticism about the true nature of their peers.
In stark contrast, OJ epitomized the extreme end of this spectrum, viewing women merely as objects of desire, prone to physical aggression when challenged, and reveling in a boisterous lifestyle characteristic of many athletes.
For Caitlyn, seeing OJ mirrored a repugnant reflection of the male athlete archetype, exacerbating her own self-loathing and discomfort. This dynamic perhaps fueled her sense of unease around him, despite his embodiment of societal expectations placed upon her.
A vintage family photograph featuring, from left to right, Khloe, Kourtney, Kris, Rob, and Kim.
There were several factors contributing to my aversion to him: he epitomized the utmost narcissism, egocentrism, and neediness, qualities I found repulsive in the world of sports, where I’d encountered many such personalities.
In 2016, Jenner expressed her refusal to watch the FX series American Crime Story: The People v O.J. Simpson, stating to E! News, “I have not watched it. Unfortunately, I lived it. There’s no need to bring up painful memories.”
During LMN’s The Secret Tapes of the O.J. Case: The Untold Story in 2015, Kris discussed Nicole and O.J., reflecting on Nicole’s increasing awareness of her perilous situation towards the end of her life. Kris recalled Nicole’s ominous warnings, “He’s going to kill me and he’s going to get away with it.”
Expressing regret, Kris acknowledged, “I will always feel guilty that I didn’t pay more attention and didn’t speak up when I thought anything was wrong or asked her more, ‘Do you want to talk about it?'”
Jenner attended the trial that concluded on October 3, 1995, sitting alongside her ex-husband Robert, whom she had divorced in 1989. She recounted the chilling moments of a police call, played as evidence, where Nicole pleaded for help, fearing O.J.’s violent outburst. The distress in Nicole’s voice was profoundly shocking to Jenner, as it revealed a side she had never witnessed before.
These reflections come in the wake of Kris’ sister Karen Houghton’s passing at the age of 65 on March 18.
