OJ Simpson spoke out a lot during and after what was dubbed the "trial of the century" when he was accused of killing his ex-wife and her friend, even going on to write a book about the whole situation.
Simpson, who died yesterday at the age of 76, was accused of the double murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman after the pair were found dead at Nicole's Los Angeles home in a brutal slashing. The outrage over the two murders after Simpson was acquitted during the criminal trial in 1995 changed the way that people saw the former NFL star.
The Brown and Goldman families both sued Simpson in 1997 in a civil trial, and he was found responsible for Ron and Nicole's deaths by a preponderance of the evidence. Simpson was then ordered to pay $33.5 million (£26.9 million) to their families, which he apparently only paid a fraction of, Ron's sister Kim Goldman revealed previously.
READ MORE: How OJ Simpson got off for double murder of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman
OJ Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson with their children (Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Simpson with his children Justin and Sydney at Nicole Brown Simpson's funeral (Getty Images)Both during the trial and over the rest of his life after it, Simpson was very vocal about the murders and the court case and spoke often to say that he did not kill Nicole and Ron, and that he was searching for whoever did it. Here's everything Simpson said about the murder case.
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Simpson denied killing Nicole and Ron
Speaking in his 1995 trial, Simpson said: "I did not, could not and would not have committed this crime." It was part of his explanation to Judge Lance as to why he decided not to testify in his own defence.
Then in January 1996, Simpson, in an interview with BET, said: "No, I did not commit those murders. I couldn't kill anyone, and I don't know of anyone who was involved."
He also described how he thought the media was the "main reason why America is feeling the way they're feeling", adding that he felt people "were lied to".
OJ Simpson's mystery accomplice 'Charlie' in 'If I Did It'
If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer is a book by OJ Simpson and Pablo Fenjves in which Simpson shares a supposedly hypothetical description of the two murders he was accused of. Fred Goldman, Ron's father, later won the rights to the book so the Goldman Family is also listed as an author.
Simpson described in an interview how he thought the media was the 'main reason why America is feeling the way they're feeling' (Getty Images)In one particularly unusual and standout detail in the book, Simpson mentions an unwilling accomplice in the murders called "Charlie". US TV network Fox was also gearing up to air a related, two-part taped interview with Simpson, in which Simpson shared a cryptic message about how he would have committed the 1994 killings of Nicole and Ron "if he were the one responsible".
OJ Simpson vowed to find the real killers
Just a few weeks after the murders, in July 1994, Simpson's lawyer shared the announcement that a $500,000 (£401,000) reward was up for anyone who had information leading to the "real killer or killers".
At a press conference after Simpson was acquitted, Simpson's son Jason read a statement from his father in which he promised his main priority would be finding the "killer or killers" responsible for Nicole and Ron's deaths.
Simpson "would love to get his hands on whoever did this"
Speaking to Esquire in 1998, Simpson said: "If I'm hurting right now, it's not because I've done anything wrong. It's because I miss her. If I could sit down with [Ron’s father] Fred Goldman and talk to him, I would say, 'Listen, I would love to get my hands on whoever did this. Love to..."
Simpson said he vowed to find the 'real killer or killers' (Bei/REX/Shutterstock)He continued: "Let's say I committed this crime. Even if I did do this, it would have to have been because I loved her very much, right?"
Simpson didn't talk about the trial with his children
In a TV interview ten years after the murders, in 2004, Simpson told Katie Couric that he "never really spoke about" Nicole's death with their two children, Sydney and Justin. He added that he never really felt concerned about their children asking him if he killed their mother, and said them asking would be a "waste of time".
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He said: "I doubted that would ever happen. I know my kids know me. And if they did, I would have to deal with it at that time. I certainly don't waste time worrying about it.”
OJ Simpson claimed trial was "one-sided"
Simpson made his opinion clear that he believed his trial was "one-sided" in a TV interview with Katie Couric. He said he had started a blog to promote his innocence.
Simpson said he didn't talk to his children about their mother's death (Getty Images)He said: “Millions of Americans don’t believe in my guilt in any shape or form” and so he started the blog so they could ask him questions.
Simpson also said he believed the amount of damages awarded in the civil trial was "totally illegal" and that he would "never pay any dime" to the verdict. He said he was "very angry" with the Brown and Goldman families.
Simpson said he "did not belong in LA"
Simpson was sentenced to prison in 2008 for nine years for felony armed robbery and kidnapping after he forced men to return memorabilia he claimed they had stolen from him.
After he was released in 2017, he didn't give many more interviews, but a few do stand out. In 2021, speaking to The Athletic, Simpson said he did not feel he could stay in LA because he claimed the real killer could be anywhere.
He said: “I have trouble with LA. People may think this is self-serving, but I might be sitting next to whoever did it. I really don't know who did this."
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