Tanya Brown, sister of the late Nicole Brown Simpson, is asking the NFL to reconsider its stance on O.J. Simpson’s jersey number.
Ahead of the 32nd anniversary of the murder of her sister and her friend Ronald Goldman, Tanya, 56, called on the NFL to stop issuing No. 32 to players.
“It’s also the 32nd year of Nicole and Ron’s murders,” she told TMZ in an interview published Thursday, June 4. “Every time I see someone on the field with that number, it brings me back and I have trauma.”
She continued, “I would love for the NFL to realize this is very triggering as a football fan as welI. I hope they take my statement into consideration and get rid of the number 32.”
Simpson, who died in 2024 at age 76, was charged with the murders of his ex-wife and Goldman, but was acquitted in one of the most controversial jury decisions of all-time. He was later found liable for Nicole and Goldman’s deaths in 1997 when the victims’ families filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
Before the murders, he played 11 seasons in the NFL and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. His No. 32 was retired by his alma mater, the University of Southern California, but it remains in use throughout the NFL. The No. 32 jersey has been donned by multiple Hall of Famers other than Simpson, including Jim Brown, Marcus Allen and Franco Harris.
If the NFL elects not to shelf No. 32, Tanya said she hopes the league will instead dedicate it to Nicole and Goldman while encouraging players to wear it in their memory.
Tanya is also encouraging people to participate in candlelight vigils on June 12, the anniversary of the murders, through the Flock of Angels network, a grief-support organization founded in Nicole’s memory.
As the anniversary of her sister’s death approaches, Brown is honoring her through a collection of magnets titled Nicole: A Life Remembered. Each one features a different picture of Nicole, including one of her on her wedding day to Simpson.
“Over the years, so many of you have shared stories, photos, memories, and messages with me,” Brown explained in a post via Instagram. “Because of that love, I wanted to create something special that people could hold onto and enjoy every day.”
She continued, “Each magnet celebrates a different moment in Nicole’s life and reflects the warmth, beauty, joy, and spirit that those closest to her remember so well. Whether displayed in your home, given as a gift, or simply kept as a personal remembrance, my hope is that these magnets bring a smile, a memory, and a moment of connection.”
