Who was OJ Simpson married to and who were his children? (2024)

OJ Simpson has died aged 76 following a battle with prostate cancer - nearly three decades on from the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman.

The notorious murder suspect who was found civilly liable for the two killings died surrounded by his family at his home in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.

An X post shared on his official account by his family said: 'On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.

Simpson became one of the most infamous figures in America after he was charged with murdering Nicole and Goldman in 1994. He was later cleared of the killings.

But his reputation was ruined forever and the latter part of his career was marked by a series of seedy ventures.

After being acquitted, Simpson went on to be found civilly liable for the murders and was later forced to pay out $33.5million in damages to the Brown and Goldman families.

The former NFL star had a colorful personal and romantic life - marrying twice and fathering five children - now DailyMail.com looks back at his two marriages, children and how much he was worth before his death...

OJ Simpson has died aged 76 following a battle with prostate cancer - nearly three decades on from the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman - pictured at his 1995 trial

The former NFL star had a colorful personal and romantic life - marrying twice and fathering five children - now DailyMail.com looks back at his two marriages, children and how much he was worth before his death. - pictured with Brown and kids Sydney and Justin in 1994

WHO WAS OJ SIMPSON MARRIED TO?

Simpson wed his first wife Marguerite Whitley in 1967 when he was just 19 years old.

The pair welcomed daughter Arnelle, now 55, and son Jason, 53. The couple also shared daughter Aaren who was born in 1977 but died just one month before her second birthday in 1979 after drowning in the family’s pool.

They divorced in 1979 - when Simpson was already seeing Nicole - who was 20 to his 32.

In 2018 Fox special OJ: The Lost Confession, Simpson confirmed that he began a relationship with Nicole, despite the fact that he was still with Marguerite, who had just given birth to Aaren at the time.

Nicole had just graduated high school.

Simpson says he was in the process of separating from his wife, but they were slow to get a divorce because of the birth of Aaren.

Simpson's love affair with Nicole, and how quickly the two became serious after meeting in 1977, was the focus of an entire episode of the Oscar and Emmy-winning documentary OJ: Made In America.

Simpson wed his first wife Marguerite Whitley in 1967 when he was just 19 years old - they are pictured withdaughter Arnelle and son Jason on January 8, 1973

The pair welcomed daughter Arnelle, now 55, and son Jason, 53. The couple also shared daughter Aaren who was born in 1977 but died just one month before her second birthday in 1979 after drowning in the family’s pool

Simpson's friend Thomas McCollum III recalled his first trip to The Daisy with the football star, and the exact moment the then 30-year-old Simpson saw waitress Nicole.

'He was married to Marguerite at that time, but as we're sitting there this gorgeous little surfer blonde is waiting tables at the lunch hour,' said McCollum.

'OJ goes, "Wow, who's that?" And Nicole came over and she said hello and she didn't walk ten feet away and he looks right at [owner of The Daisy] Jack Hanson and says: "I'm going to marry that girl."'

David LeBon was Nicole's roommate in Los Angeles at the time and said he was shocked at how quick it was happened, and the state his friend came home in after her first date with the former football star.

'She was 18-years-old. She had just graduated from high school. She was like my little sister,' said LeBon.

'She goes, "I met this man and his name is OJ Simpson."

OJ met Nicole when she was a teenage waitress at the trendy Beverly Hills restaurant, The Daisy. They met when he dined there and became inseparable (pictured 1980)

'They went out and I waited up for them. She got home and it was like 2:00 in the morning and her jeans were ripped and I went "what happened?"

'And she goes, "well, he was a little forceful". And I go "Nicole, why would you let him on a first date be a little bit forceful?"'

He went on to say that Nicole told him that she really liked Simpson.

'That was the start of it,' said LeBon.

Nicole and Simpson in 1981 after his divorce

Two days later LeBon said that Nicole told him Simpson was buying her a car and getting her an apartment.

'I went, "Nicole, think about this." You know he's married and has children. And she goes, "but I think I really like this guy."

'It was that fast,' said LeBon. '18 years old. I mean, it was too young.'

The final person to speak during the first episode was Nicole's sister Tanya Brown, who spoke about just how in love her older sibling was with this man who was unknown to them despite his fame.

'We didn't know who he was. We're girls in the Brown house. We didn't grow up with football, we went to the beach,' said Tanya.

'We were like, "who are you?"'

She then added: 'They had a real love affair these two. When they were together it was just love.

The children were just eight and five at the time of their mother's murder and asleep in the home when their mother was stabbed to death on June 12, 1994 alongside Goldman, who was 25

'And that's what makes this thing so sad.'

The pair married in 1985 and welcomeddaughter Sydney Brooke, now 39 that year and son Justin, 36, in 1988.

In 1989, the former football player pleaded no contest to a domestic violence charge against Simpson. The couple divorced in 1992.

The children were just eight and five at the time of their mother's murder and asleep in the home when their mother was stabbed to death on June 12, 1994 alongside Goldman, who was 25.

WHO WERE OJ'S CHILDREN?

OJ is pictured with his children with Nicole as well as eldest son Jason in 1994

OJ and Nicole's children have remained largely out of the spotlight in their adult years.

After the trial Simpson shared custody of the children with the Brown family after a five year custody battle - their grandmother Juditha had legal guardianship of the children while Simpson had physical custody.

Justin works as a realtor in Las Vegas and his company profile reads: 'Justin sets himself apart by DOMINATING customer service with communication, while utilizing timeless negotiation techniques to give his clients the competitive edge!'

He welcomed a daughter Lana in May 2022.

In 2016 it was revealed Sydney was living quietly in St Petersburg, Florida and working in real estate.

The children moved to Miami, Florida with their father after his acquittal.

In 2016, Nicole’s sister Tanya spoke about Sydney and Justin to People saying: 'They are so well-grounded. I’m so proud of what and who they’ve become.'

In 2014 on the 20th anniversary of the murders Tanya told Radar Online the pair were both 'professionals' who went to college, adding: 'They’re in relationships. They’re happy. They’re just like us. Quote unquote.'

Jason was famously placed in handcuffs after he arrived at his father's Brentwood home to speak to him in the aftermath of the murders. He has maintained a low profile since the trial (pictured with sister Arnelle, first left) when his father was acquitted in 1995

Arnelle has remained a staunch supporter of her father - asking for him to be released at his 2017 parole hearing so she and her siblings can 'move forward' (pictured 1995)

OJ had repaired his relationship with his two youngest children - visiting them in Florida, most memorably during Thanksgiving 2018 - pictured with son Justin

Simpson is pictured with daughter Sydney in 2018

Tanya said: 'I had to go and pick the kids up at the house where he lived. It was hard for me, but I did it… I had to put on the face because this is their dad. They will always love their dad. I choose to respect that.

When Sydney and Justin were 14 and 12 they moved from California to live with Simpson in Florida.

A family spokesman told ABC News at the time: 'The children said to their grandmother, ‘I want to be with my father.’”

In Tanya’s interview with Radar, she also said that she never spoke to the children about Nicole’s murder or OJ's alleged involvement, calling it the 'pink elephant in the room that I hope never shows up.'

Justin works as a realtor in Las Vegas and welcomed a daughter Lana in May 2022

'We don't talk about it. I'm the aunt that when they come to visit, it's 'Let's go to a movie! Let's go shopping! Let's go to the beach! They've probably talked about it on their own. But when they come to our house we have fun. We don't need to rehash everything.'

The siblings made a rare public appearance at the wedding of their cousin, Sean, in February 2016.

The two were photographed sitting in the front row during the ceremony in Newport Beach, California, and were seated next to their aunt Denise and Juditha.

Jason was famously placed in handcuffs after he arrived at his father's Brentwood home to speak to him in the aftermath of the murders.

He has maintained a low profile since the trial and was last known to be working as a chef in Atlanta, Georgia according to a June 2016 interview in the Los Angeles Times.

BookO.J. Is Innocent and I Can Prove It by William C. Dear. claimed Jason waspreviously diagnosed with intermittent rage disorder

Arnelle has remained a staunch supporter of her father - asking for him to be released at his 2017 parole hearing so she and her siblings can 'move forward.'

She said: 'As a family we recognize he's not the perfect man, but as a man and a father he has done his best.

OJ had repaired his relationship with his two youngest children - visiting them in Florida, most memorably during Thanksgiving 2018.

O.J. told The Associated Press in June that year: 'I've been to Florida two or three times to see the kids and my old buddies in Miami. I even managed to play a game of golf with them. But I live in a town I've learned to love. Life is fine.

'We don't need to go back and relive the worst day of our lives," he said. "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'


WHAT WAS OJ SIMPSON'S NET WORTH?

Questions about OJ Simpson’s net worth have been circulating ever since he lost the wrongful death civil trial, in which the judge ordered OJ to pay $33,500,000 in damages- Pictured: Simpson in Las Vegas earlier this year

In 2007, OJ lost the rights to his book 'If I Did It' to the Goldman family, who subsequently renamed the book, 'If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer'

OJ Simpson’s net worth is estimated to be $3 million (£2.1 million), according to Celebrity Net Worth - pictured 1994

Questions about OJ Simpson’s net worth have been circulating ever since he lost the wrongful death civil trial, in which the judge ordered OJ to pay $33,500,000 in damages.

However, OJ famously paid very little of the $33.5 million damages to the families of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. The figure he owes is now actually over$70 million.

Before the 1995 trial, OJ’s net worth was in the tens of millions. According to Celebrity Net Worth, OJ was worth $10.8 million (£7.7 million) at the time of his divorce from Nicole Brown in 1992, which is around $18 million (£12.9) in 2018.

OJ Simpson’s net worth is estimated to be $3 million (£2.1 million), according to Celebrity Net Worth.

In 2007, OJ lost the rights to his book 'If I Did It' to the Goldman family, who subsequently renamed the book, 'If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer'.

After the criminal and civil trials, OJ made money initially through book and TV deals. OJ is also thought to generate significant sums of money through his pensions.

ESPN estimates that OJ made more than $600,000 from his NFL pension during his nine years in prison between 2008 and 2017.

There is also a Screen Actors Guild pension which reportedly pays out $1700 a month.

In 2018, Tom Scotto, a friend of OJ’s, says that OJ also invested $5 million in a personal pension.

Who was OJ Simpson married to and who were his children? (2024)

FAQs

Who was OJ Simpson married to and who were his children? ›

Brown and Simpson were married on February 2, 1985, five years after his retirement from professional football. The couple had two children, Sydney Brooke Simpson (b. 1985) and Justin Ryan Simpson (b. 1988).

Did OJ Simpson have children with his first wife? ›

The infamous NFL player shared 2 kids with Nicole Brown and 3 with first wife Marguerite Whitley – from hot Atlanta chef Jason to Florida real estate bro Justin Ryan. OJ Simpson's family confirmed on Thursday that the former football player had died a day earlier, and had been diagnosed with cancer. He was 76 years old ...

Was OJ still married to Nicole? ›

She and O.J. married in 1985, but their tumultuous and at-times abusive relationship ended in divorce seven years later. In mid-June 1994, 35-year-old Nicole and her 25-year-old friend Ron Goldman were found brutally murdered outside of her Los Angeles home.

What is OJ Simpson's net worth? ›

According to a court filing, OJ claimed to have an estimated net worth of $10.8 million and a monthly income of $55,000, per Celebrity Net Worth.

What was Nicole Brown buried in? ›

Nicole Brown Simpson is buried in Ascension Cemetery, Lake Forest, California. She was buried on June 16 1994, four days after she was found stabbed to death.

What happened to Nicole Brown Simpson's children? ›

She was only 8 years old when her mom died, and was helped raised by her aunt and Nicole's sister, Tanya Brown, after Nicole's death. Sydney and Justin moved to Florida in 2000, six years after their mom's death, and have lived in relative anonymity since.

How many biological children does O.J. Simpson have? ›

OJ Simpson has 5 kids from his two marriages. His children, from eldest to youngest are Arnelle Simpson, Jason Simpson, Aaren Simpson, Sydney Brooke Simpson, and Justin Ryan Simpson.

How old was Nicole Brown when she married OJ? ›

Brown Simpson met O.J. Simpson soon after her graduation from high school. She was 18, he was 30. The two were married soon afterwards on February 2, 1985, with a child following a just months after their marriage.

Who got custody of OJ and Nicole's kids? ›

Following an emotional custody battle in 1996, Sydney and Justin returned to live with their disgraced father, first at his mansion near their old home in Brentwood and then in Florida.

Where is Sydney Simpson today? ›

Sydney was 8 years old at the time of her mother's murder, which thrust her family into the national spotlight. Since that time, Sydney Simpson has led a largely private life. She pursued a career in real estate and as of 2016 was living in St. Petersburg, Florida, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Does O.J. Simpson still owe the Goldman family money? ›

Today, the amount still owed has more than tripled. More than 25 years ago, O.J. Simpson was found liable in civil court for the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, her friend, and was ordered to pay more than $33 million to their families. They have yet to recover the damages.

How much money does OJ still owe the Goldmans? ›

Cook told CBS News that Simpson's death was "a death without penance" and the judgment owed to the Goldmans had with interest risen to $114 million.

How much money does O.J. Simpson have left? ›

What Was Left. According to Celebrity Net Worth,Simpson's net worth was approximately $3 million at the time of his death. That money will be distributed between his four surviving children, Sydney, Jason, Justin and Arnelle Simpson.

Did Nicole have an open casket? ›

Nicole Brown Simpson's Open Casket: Yes, even after she was brutally murdered, there was an open casket for Nicole Brown Simpson at her funeral. "Yes, and O.J. came and kissed her," explains Alexander.

Did Nicole Brown have kids? ›

Nicole Brown Simpson (née Brown; May 19, 1959 – June 12, 1994) was the second wife of American football player O. J. Simpson. Brown met Simpson in 1977 and they married in 1985, five years after Simpson had retired from professional American football. Their marriage lasted seven years and they had a daughter and a son.

Where is O.J. Simpson buried? ›

Simpson was cremated Wednesday and will not receive a public memorial service, his estate lawyer told The Associated Press. Attorney Malcolm LaVergne reportedly said he and some unspecified other people were present for the morning event at Palm Mortuary in Las Vegas.

What happened to O.J. Simpson's first wife Marguerite? ›

Marguerite remarried twice following O.J.'s divorce

After the divorce from Simpson, Whitley moved from Brentwood home with her kids and settled in San Francisco in a new home.

Did OJ have kids with Nicole Brown? ›

The 79-year-old retired trial attorney explains to PEOPLE that 30 years following the trial, both of O.J. and Brown Simpson's two children have found a “good life.” O.J. Simpson, Nicole Brown Simpson, and their kids Sydney and Justin at the 'Naked Gun 33 1/3' Premiere in Hollywood, California.

Did OJ have any kids with Nicole? ›

“During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.” The former athlete had five children with two wives: two children with his late wife, Nicole Brown, and three children with his first wife, Marguerite Whitley.

Did OJ and Nicole have kids together? ›

Nicole Brown Simpson (née Brown; May 19, 1959 – June 12, 1994) was the second wife of American football player O. J. Simpson. Brown met Simpson in 1977 and they married in 1985, five years after Simpson had retired from professional American football. Their marriage lasted seven years and they had a daughter and a son.

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