Crime O.J. Simpson Had 'Very Strong Ego' — and It 'Clouded a Lot of His Reactions,' Says Attorney (Exclusive) Speaking with PEOPLE in the wake of Simpson's death, his defense attorneys reflect on the "Trial of the Century" By Charna Flam, Charna Flam Charna Flam is a writer-reporter at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2023. Her work has previously appeared on Variety, The New York Post, and The Wrap. People Editorial Guidelines Wendy Grossman Kantor, Wendy Grossman Kantor Wendy Grossman Kantor is an award winning journalist who has spent 20 years as a reporter for PEOPLE. She covers human interest, health, crime and politics for PEOPLE. People Editorial Guidelines and Christine Pelisek Christine Pelisek Christine Pelisek is a senior crime writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2014. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 11, 2024 10:35PM EDT Close O. J. Simpson sits in Superior Court in Los Angeles 08 December 1994 during an open court session where Judge Lance Ito denied a media attorney's request to open court transcripts from a 07 December private meeting involving prospective jurors. . Photo: POOL/AFP via Getty Former attorneys for O.J. Simpson are speaking out about the “Trial of the Century” following Simpson's death from cancer on April 10. Simpson was arrested in 1994 in connection with the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and 25-year-old waiter Ron Goldman. The victims were brutally stabbed to death outside her Los Angeles home on June 12, 1994. “This is just a reminder for us of how long Ron has been gone, how long we have missed him and nothing more than that," Fred Goldman, Ron's father, tells PEOPLE. "That is the only thing that is important today. It is the pain from then until now. There is nothing today that is more important than the loss of my son and the loss of Nicole. Nothing is more important than that." Simpson had nine attorneys on his defense team — Robert Blasier, Alan Dershowitz, Carl Douglas, Johnnie Cochran, Robert Shapiro, F. Lee Bailey, Barry Scheck, Robert Kardashian, Peter Neufeld, Gerald F. Uelmen, and Shawn Holley. Blasier, Dershowitz, and Douglas exclusively share their recollections of Simpson’s trial with PEOPLE. “He will always have a mixed legacy,” Dershowitz, 85, tells PEOPLE. "But, he'll always be remembered as the defendant in the very important trial of 1995.” Murder defendant OJ Simpson (2nd L) stands with his attorneys Robert Blasier (L), Johnnie Cochran Jr (2nd from R) and Robert Shapiro (R) on April 26. VINCE BUCCI / POOL / AFP “He was very smart. He didn't always listen to his lawyer's advice,” explains Dershowitz, adding that he “told [Simpson] once he got acquitted to assume a low profile,” but “[he] did not.” “He did some foolish things writing a book [If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer] or he went on a lot of television shows,” says Dershowitz. “[He] did not do himself very much good.” Dershowitz continues that although Simpson has “a mixed legacy,” he notes that Simpson and his trial “had a big impact on the American justice system, on media coverage of trials, on corruption.” “He had a big impact on racial divisions," Dershowitz says, adding that “he left a mark,” and notes the significance of Simpson’s trial being the first that was “tried live on television.” Alan Dershowitz (standing), while prosecutors remain seated. (L-R) prosecutor Marcia Clark and Scott Gordon. POO/AFP via Getty What Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman's Families Have Said Over the Years About O.J. Simpson “Obviously, it was a huge case in everybody's past,” Blasier, 76, tells PEOPLE. “And it was remarkable. The whole case was just remarkable, both the civil and the criminal case.” Blaiser reveals to PEOPLE that he and his ex-wife lived with Simpson during the civil trials. Brown and Goldman’s families pursued a wrongful death lawsuit against Simpson in civil court in 1996. The next year, Simpson was found liable for the two victims’ deaths. He was subsequently ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages. “I lived down there with him and got to know him very well,” shares Blaiser. “It was a wonderful experience for me and getting to know him was special for me.” He notes how his client “had a very strong ego, as you can probably understand,” adding “that kind of clouded a lot of his reactions.” Everything O.J. Simpson Said About the Murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman O.J. Simpson (R) and defense attorney Carl Douglas (L) on Oct. 2, 1995. MYUNG J. CHUN/AFP via Getty Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. “O.J. just loved the affection of the adoring public, and he always hoped that he would be able to recapture that adoration after this trial,” Douglas, 68, tells PEOPLE. “He relished that positive attention.” VINCE BUCCI/AFP via Getty “There could be three people out of a hundred who were saying things positive and he would only remember the three that were positive and care less about the others and what they thought about him,” explains Douglas. Douglas adds that Simpson’s “legacy is a complicated one.”