OJ Simpson’s shocking tribute at the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday has been criticized by the families of murder victims Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman.
Simpson, who became one of America’s most infamous figures after being charged with the murders of his ex-wife Brown and her friend Goldman in 1994 and then acquitted in the trial of the century, appeared on screen as part of the series In Memory Segment.
Two months after Simpson died at age 76 from prostate cancer, Simpson, along with stars such as Louis Gossett Jr. and civil rights activist Dexter Scott King, was honored as a “former NFL player,” to some applause. when his photo was shown.
However, the decision to honour the convicted felon, who also spent nine years in a Nevada jail in 2008 after being convicted of 12 counts of armed robbery and kidnapping, was criticised by the families of Brown and Goldman and left viewers “disgusted” and outraged.
Ron’s father, Fred Goldman, said: TMZ:’I don’t think they should include anyone of that caliber: a wife beater, a murderer… I can’t imagine why they would include someone like that.’
OJ Simpson’s shocking tribute at the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday has been criticised by the families of murder victims Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman – Simpson pictured in 2008
Simpson, who became one of America’s most infamous figures after being accused of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife Brown and her friend Goldman, and later acquitted in the trial of the century, appeared on screen as part of the segment In Memoriam of the program.
Nicole’s sister Tanya added: “It is inappropriate to recognize an abuser and a murderer.”
“Whoever thought of doing that owes an apology to all victims of domestic violence… and that includes our family. And they should be fired.”
One fan wrote: “Putting OJ Simpson on the memorial is absolutely disgusting,” while another wrote: “I BET they’ve really lost their minds by including OJ Simpson in the memo.”
Others wrote: ‘Silencing Usher’s speech but adding OJ Simpson to the In Memoriam is insane,’ ‘The BET Awards are so irrelevant that they had to put that murderer OJ Simpson in the memoriam so he could get attention on all of tomorrow’s shows. Tragic.’
Another fan wrote: ‘Don’t tell me… I almost changed the channel once OJ Simpson appeared on screen during that in memoriam at the Bet Awards 2024. As if not… I should have been excluded.
“Including OJ Simpson in your memorial tribute but not Andre Braugher is a wild gamble.”
Simpson was later found civilly liable for the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman.
Despite a successful NFL career, Simpson was best known for his acquittal following his high-profile 1995 murder trial, dubbed the “Trial of the Century.”
Simpson was acquitted but later found civilly liable for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown. In the photo: the couple in New York in 1993.
Brown was found brutally stabbed to death in front of her Los Angeles home along with her friend Ron Goldman, who was also murdered.
Viewers were left “disgusted” and outraged by the segment.
He was charged with the deaths of Brown and Goldman, who were found brutally stabbed outside their Los Angeles home.
The circumstances surrounding his arrest were equally gruesome, with the former NFL star leading police on a low-speed chase after learning of the impending charges.
Millions of people tuned in to watch Simpson’s 90-minute chase of his white Ford Bronco across Southern California.
The athlete crouched behind with a gun while his friend Al Cowlings drove, before his eventual arrest in Brentwood.
At trial, prosecutors argued that Simpson was linked to the crime scene through forensic evidence.
In one now infamous moment, Simpson had to struggle to try on a pair of black gloves believed to have been worn by the killer. One of the gloves was found at the crime scene and the other near Simpson’s mansion.
Prosecutors said the accused killer acted out of jealousy of his then-ex-wife.
“He killed Nicole for one reason only,” Christopher Darden testified in court. “He killed her because he couldn’t have her, and if he couldn’t have her, he didn’t want anyone else to have her.” Despite the evidence, Simpson was acquitted.
Fred Goldman (center), father of Ronald Goldman, his daughter Kim (left) and his wife Patty are pictured at the trial in 1994. Fred said: I don’t think they should include anybody of that caliber – a wife beater, murderer… I can’t imagine why they would include somebody like that.
Commentators agree that the defense, aided in part by longtime friend Robert Kardashian, relied heavily on anger over the LAPD’s historical racial bias and argued that evidence had been mishandled.
A decade later, still overshadowed by California’s wrongful death sentence, Simpson ended up in court again charged with armed robbery.
Imprisoned at age 61, he served nine years in a remote northern Nevada prison, including a stint as a gym janitor. He was unrepentant when he was released on parole in October 2017.
The parole board heard him insist once again that he was just trying to recover sports memorabilia and family heirlooms that had been stolen from him after his criminal trial in Los Angeles.
“I’ve basically lived a conflict-free life, you know,” said Simpson, whose parole ended at the end of 2021.
The public’s fascination with Simpson never faded. In 2019, on the 25th anniversary of the murder, Simpson started a Twitter account.
He quickly amassed hundreds of thousands of followers and soon made a name for himself as a presence on the app, often posting short videos of himself, offering his opinions and comments on a variety of topics.
His stardom in sports and film would be overshadowed by his arrest for the murder of Brown and Goldman. Pictured: Simpson in Los Angeles Superior Court in December 1994.
The father of six at a premiere with his then wife Nicole Brown and their children Sydney and Justin
Simpson (pictured during his trial in 1995) became one of America’s most infamous figures after being accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994.
Many have debated whether he would have been punished in Las Vegas for his acquittal in Los Angeles.
In 2016, he was the subject of an FX miniseries and a five-part ESPN documentary.
“I don’t think most Americans believe I did it,” Simpson told The New York Times in 1995, a week after a jury determined that he did not kill Brown and Goldman. “I have received thousands of letters and telegrams from people who support me.”
Twelve years later, following public outrage, Rupert Murdoch canceled a planned book by News Corp-owned HarperCollins in which Simpson offered his hypothetical account of the murders. It would be titled “If I Did.”
The book was one of several ways Simpson attempted to capitalize on the controversy surrounding his trial.
Simpson is survived by his children Arnelle and Jason Simpson from his marriage to first wife Marguerite Whitley, as well as Sydney and Justin Simpson from his marriage to Brown.
Whitley and Simpson also had another daughter, Aaren, who tragically drowned in the family pool at age two. The couple separated in 1979, the same year Aaren died.
Simpson and Brown married in 1985, but their marriage was turbulent due to Simpson’s extreme anger and accusations of domestic violence.
In 1989, Brown called the police in a panic and claimed that Simpson was threatening to kill her. When police arrived, they noticed she was covered in bruises and had a split lip.
Simpson eventually pleaded guilty to spousal assault.