OJ Simpson Only Had One 'Close Family Member' By His Side When He Passed Away, Claims Lawyer
April 21 2024, Published 6:30 p.m. ET
In the wake of OJ Simpson's passing on April 10 at the age of 76 after battling prostate cancer, new details have emerged regarding his last moments.
Contrary to previous claims that he was surrounded by children and grandchildren, his attorney, Malcolm LaVergne, revealed that only one "close family member" was by his side.
LaVergne debunked the earlier reports, stating that Simpson's family post claiming he was surrounded by loved ones was inaccurate.
“You have to remember that they’ve shared OJ with the world their entire lives,” the attorney said of Simpson’s four surviving kids. “At first they shared good OJ But still he was famous. And then, in 1994 on, they kind of had to share bad boy OJ with the world."
“But at the end of the day, these children just lost a father,” he continued. “And they have the added burden that he is one of the most famous people on the planet, and who is polarizing and who is surrounded by controversy.”
OJ Simpson, the former NFL star, was famously acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in the highly publicized 1995 trial.
Despite his acquittal, the Juice was found liable for the victim's deaths and owed millions to Nicole and Ron's families.
The former athlete's life remained shrouded in controversy and polarized the public perception of him.
OJ was later found guilty of various felony charges — including kidnapping and robbery — in connection with a botched Las Vegas robbery in 2008. He was later granted parole in July 2017 after nearly nine years behind bars.
LaVergne said he had his last in-depth conversation with the former NFL running back just before Easter at his rented country club home near the Las Vegas Strip.
"He was awake, alert and chilling," the lawyer explained.
"He’s on the couch … drinking a beer and watching TV,” he continued. “And so that was the last time we had effective back-and-forth conversations. He’s usually the one who keeps me up on the news … so we were just catching up on the news then.”
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As RadarOnline.com has previously reported, OJ allegedly told a close friend that his heart was "giving out" at the time of his death.
"The doctors want him to rest at home because there isn’t much they can do for him,” another source said just months before Simpson’s death. “O.J.’s got it in his head that he’s going to die from a massive heart attack.”
O.J. Simpson is now survived by his four children – including Arnelle and Jason Simpson from his first marriage as well as Sydney and Justin Simpson from his marriage to Brown.