OJ Simpson dies aged 76, family says

4 weeks ago 27

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OJ Simpson, the former American footballer who was controversially cleared of double murder, has died aged 76, his family says.

Orenthal James Simpson rose to fame as a college footballer before playing in the NFL.

In 1995, he was acquitted of the murder of his former wife Nicole Brown and a friend in a trial that gripped America.

In 2008, he was sentenced to 33 years' imprisonment on charges of armed robbery. He was released in 2017.

Simpson died of cancer on Wednesday, his family wrote on Twitter/X.

"He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren," the statement read.

Before 1994, Simpson was regarded with affection by the public, well known as a professional athlete, actor and million-dollar spokesman for several US companies.

But that year, he was arrested as a suspect in his ex-wife's murder. The ensuing trial gripped the nation, with his acquittal the following year proving hugely controversial.

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