IN THE MIDDLE
OJ Simpson trial ‘tore apart’ Kardashian family after Kim’s lawyer dad Robert brought her to court as he defended star
Kim also expressed why she never shared her thoughts on OJ's innocence
KIM Kardashian spoke about the brutal aftermath of the infamous OJ Simpson trial on her family years before the disgraced athlete died following a battle with cancer.
Kim's father, Robert Kardashian, was a close friend of Simpson and was part of his legal defense team when Simpson was charged with the double murder of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.
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Meanwhile, her mother, Kris Jenner, was Nicole's best friend and believed Simpson committed the murder.
In a 2020 episode of David Letterman's Netflix show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Kim revealed that the trial "tore my family apart."
Kim and her older sister, Kourtney, were teenagers at the time and were torn between which divorced parent they would side with.
"We didn’t really know what to believe or whose side to take as kids, because we didn’t want to hurt one of our parents' feelings," she said.
"It tore my family apart, I’d say, for the whole time of the trial."
Decades after the "trial of the century," Kim said she's tried not to publically share her thoughts on whether or not she believed Simpson was innocent.
"I’ve never expressed how I’ve felt about that because I just respect his children," she told Letterman at the time.
After the case, Kim's father, who died from esophageal cancer in 2003, expressed doubts over Simpson's innocence and eventually cut all ties with him.
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He added that if he had known that he and his family would have received death threats for their involvement in the case, he would have never taken it on.
'NOT FUNNY'
However, in 2021, Kim was slammed by Nicole's sister, Tanya, over a "distasteful" joke about Simpson during her opening monologue for Saturday Night Live.
Kim, who was studying to be a lawyer at the time, mentioned her father during the monologue.
She said: "My father was and is still such an influence and inspiration to me and I credit him with really opening up my eyes to racial injustice.
OJ Simpson dead at 76: Infamous ex-NFL great acquitted of killing wife and her friend in 90s dies after cancer diagnosis
"It's because of him that I met my first Black person. Want to take a stab in the dark at who it was?
"I know it's sort of weird to remember the first Black person you met, but OJ does leave a mark. Or several! Or none at all. I still don't know."
Tanya told TMZ that the jokes related to her sister's death were in "poor taste" and "beyond inappropriate and insensitive."
Because of Kris' history with Nicole, Tanya argued that Kim should've gotten rid of the jokes in her monologue.
THE JUICE IS GONE
Simpson's family confirmed that he died surrounded by his children and grandchildren in Las Vegas at the age of 76.
"On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer," a tweet from Simpson's official account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
OJ Simpson's football career
OJ Simpson played for 11 seasons in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers from 1969 to 1979.
After starring in college for the University of Southern California in 1967 and 1968, he was drafted No.1 overall by the Bills in 1969.
Simpson spent nine of his 11 seasons in western New York and was named NFL MVP in 1973.
He was also a five-time Pro Bowler and led the league in rushing four times.
The former running back had two seasons with the 49ers before retiring in 1979.
Simpson scored 75 touchdowns during his career - 61 rushing and 14 receiving.
"He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
"During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace."
TRIAL OF THE CENTURY
Nicole Brown-Simpson and Ronald Goldman were found brutally stabbed to death outside Nicole's condo in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Simpson learned of the murders while on a business trip to Chicago and returned back to Los Angeles, where he was eventually taken in for questioning by police.
Before he was officially arrested, Simpson fled from Robert Kardashian's home and led police on an infamous chase along the Los Angeles freeway while riding in the back of a white Ford Bronco driven by his friend, Al Cowlings.
- OJ Simpson dead at 76
- Died 'surrounded by children and grandchildren'
- Claimed to be ‘in good health’ in video weeks before death
- Looked frail in final photos
- From legendary NFL career to murder trial that shocked nation
- Inside his final years
- How trial 'tore apart' Kardashian family
- Old vacation photo resurfaces
- Caitlyn Jenner: Good riddance
- Stephen A Smith: The Lord will deal with him
- Ron Goldman's father: No great loss
He was eventually arrested and charged with the double murder in one of the most widely publicized events in US history.
Simpson was represented by a high-profile defense team, dubbed the "Dream Team" which included Robert Shapiro, Robert Kardashian, Alan Dershowitz, and Johnnie Cochran.
Cochran coined the phrase "if it doesn't fit, you must acquit," after Simpson's hand didn't fit into the blood-stained glove found on his property the day he was arrested.
The defense argued that the DNA evidence in the case wasn't properly handled by lab technicians and claimed the Los Angeles Police Department tainted the investigation.
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On October 3, 1995, after less than four hours of deliberation, a jury found Simpson not guilty of two counts of murder.
However, he was found liable for the deaths in a civil case brought by Nicole and Goldman's families in 1997.
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