The late O.J. Simpson was father of five children, whom he shared with his two former spouses.
The former athlete tied the knot with his first wife, Marguerite Whitley, in 1967. Prior to their 1979 split, the pair welcomed three kids together: Arnelle, Jason and Aaren. Simpson went on to wed Nicole Brown Simpson in 1985 and later welcomed a son, Justin, and a daughter, Sydney.
Simpson famously dominated headlines worldwide in 1995 after being put on trial for the murder of Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. He was eventually found not guilty but was later found liable for wrongful death and battery.
He went on to serve nine years in prison for armed robbery and kidnapping before receiving an early release in 2017, followed by an early parole release in 2021.
Simpson revealed in February 2024 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. His children announced he had died at age 76 via X two months later.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” Simpson’s family wrote in April 2024. “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.”
Keep scrolling for a guide to Simpson’s family:
O.J. Simpson and wife Marguerite Whitley Simpson, 1977.
Marguerite Whitley
Simpson reportedly met his first wife in high school in California and went on to wed in 1967 when they were just 19 and 18 years old, respectively. While both Simpson and Whitley denied any abuse in their marriage, former LAPD officer Jim King alleged to Inside Edition that officers once responded to a domestic violence call regarding the pair in the 1970s.
“[Marguerite] indicated that OJ had punched her, had kicked her, had choked her, had forced her to the ground,” King told the outlet in 1995. “He never denied touching Marguerite to the contrary he said, he should have not touched her.”
Following their 1979 split, Whitley reportedly sued her ex-husband for failing to maintain his financial obligations. The lawsuit was settled out of court in 1986. Whitley reportedly went on to remarry twice, though her current marital status is unknown.
Whitley believed Simpson was innocent during his 1995 murder trial and attended court hearings with her children. She has seemingly remained out of the spotlight for the past several years.
Nicole Brown Simpson
Simpson met Brown Simpson while he was still married to Whitley. They eventually wed in 1985 and welcomed two kids together. Their marriage was a rocky one. In addition to Simpson allegedly bragging about cheating on his wife, she reportedly required hospital treatment after a 1989 domestic violence incident.
The Los Angeles Times reported in 1994 that Brown Simpson told police not to arrest the football star as the 1989 incident marked their ninth domestic disturbance police report. At the time, Brown Simpson allegedly told police Simpson had threatened to kill her. Simpson pleaded no contest to spousal battery charges four months later.
The duo divorced in 1992, two years after which Brown Simpson and her friend Goldman were found dead outside of her Los Angeles home, with Simpson becoming the prime suspect. His 1995 trial swept the nation, going on to become the subject of many books and documentaries, and was dramatized in FX’s 2016 limited series American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson.
Simpson was acquitted of all murder charges but was later arrested in 2007 and found guilty of kidnapping and armed robbery. He was released from prison in 2007 and received an early parole in 2021.
Arnelle Simpson
O.J. and Whitley welcomed their first child in 1968. During her father’s 1995 murder trial, Arnelle testified that O.J. was “very upset, emotional [and] confused” when he called to inform her of stepmother Brown Simpson’s death, according to The Washington Post. She went on to describe her father as acting “out-of-control, distraught [and] emotional” the day after the murder.
“He was numb. He was very quiet, just sitting on the couch, holding my grandmother’s hand,” she added at the time.
Arnelle spoke on behalf of her father again in 2017, addressing a parole board regarding Simpson’s early release from prison. “No one really knows how much we have been through, this ordeal in the last nine years,” she stated in court. “My experience with him is that he’s like my best friend and my rock. And as a family, we recognize that he is not the perfect man, but he is clearly a man and a father who has done his best to behave in a way that speaks to his overall nature and character, which is always to be positive no matter what.”
Jason Simpson
O.J. and Whitley welcomed their second child in 1970. Jason has kept a low profile in the years since his father’s trial, at which he was seen crying with his head in his hands upon hearing Simpson’s not guilty verdict.
The Los Angeles Times reported in 2016 that Jason was living in Atlanta and working as a restaurant chef.
Aaren Simpson
O.J. and Whitley welcomed their third child in 1977. She tragically died one month shy of her 2nd birthday after drowning in the family’s swimming pool.
Sydney Brooke Simpson
O.J. and Brown Simpson welcomed their first child in 1985. Sydney and her younger brother, Justin, were reportedly asleep in Brown Simpson’s L.A. home at the time of her and Goldman’s murder. Following her death, the siblings were taken into custody by their grandparents, Juditha and Louis Brown.
Keeping under the radar over the years, Sydney reportedly graduated from Boston College with a degree in Sociology and resides in Florida.
Justin Ryan Simpson
Brown Simpson gave birth to her and Simpson’s youngest child in 1988. Like many of his siblings, Justin has stayed out of the spotlight but shares occasional glimpses into his life via social media.
In February 2022, Justin announced that he was excepting a child with his partner Alycia Browne. “So, we did a thing … 🥰👶🤩💩,” he captioned an Instagram pic of himself and Browne with their child’s sonogram. “We are extremely excited, scared, nervous and in love ❤️ ❤️ ❤️. In only a few short months we will be welcoming little Lana and can’t wait for you to meet her! Every bit helps, especially tips and pointers from all you parents out there 😃.”
Browne seemingly confirmed their baby’s arrival in October 2023 by sharing an Instagram pic of a plush chair she made with the name Lana Nicole — the middle name a likely nod to Justin’s late mom — embroidered on it.
