O.J. Simpson‘s official cause of death has been revealed.
Simpson died from prostate cancer, his attorney Malcolm Lavergne confirmed to Us Weekly on Friday, April 26. He died at the age of 76 on April 10 after spending several months in hospice.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren,” the statement read. “During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”
Two months before his death, a local Las Vegas news outlet reported that Simpson was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. He didn’t address the diagnosis at the time but he did deny being placed in “hospice” care.
“Hey X world, hospice? Hospice? You’re talking about hospice?” Simpson said while laughing in a social media video, which he posted in February. “I don’t know who put that out there.”
Simpson discussed his plans to host “a ton of friends for the Super Bowl” while in Las Vegas, adding, “All is well. Guys, take care, have a good Super Bowl weekend.”
The former athlete originally rose to stardom when he played for the Buffalo Bills in the 1970s. Simpson’s professional success was later overshadowed by his personal life when he was arrested and subsequently charged with the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
O.J. was ultimately acquitted on the murder charges in 1995, but was later found guilty for wrongful death of and battery against Goldman in a civil suit filed by the late Goldman’s family.
Over the years, O.J. continued to make headlines when he was arrested for an armed robbery that took place in 2007. He was also found guilty of kidnapping and armed robbery, which he served out in a Las Vegas prison. O.J. was released on parole in 2021 after serving the minimum sentence requirement of nine years.
O.J. previously discussed his decision to not revisit his infamous murder trial, telling The Associated Press in 2019, “We don’t need to go back and relive the worst day of our lives. The subject of the moment is the subject I will never revisit again. My family and I have moved on to what we call the ‘no negative zone.’ We focus on the positives.”
O.J. is survived by four children: Arnelle and Jason, from his first marriage to Marguerite Whitley, and Sydney and Justin, from his marriage to Nicole.
