OJ Simpson, 76, an NFL star who was twice acquitted of murder and later convicted and sentenced to up to 33 years in prison for armed robbery, died of prostate cancer, his family announced on Thursday, April 11 on X.
Despite being a highly-decorated sportsman who was considered one of the greatest running backs of all time, his athletic achievements were eclipsed by the “trial of the century” in 1995 that saw him get charged with but ultimately found not guilty by a jury for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, making him one of the most controversial figures of the late 20th century.
Similar to the defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard last summer, the trial was televised and subject to a mass-media spectacle and public debates over issues of race, class, policing and criminal justice, as well as celebrity obsession.
In 1997, another jury unanimously deemed Simpson liable for Brown Simpson’s and Goldman’s wrongful deaths in a civil lawsuit brought by Goldman’s family, ordering him to pay $33.5 million in damages.
Although Simpson maintained his innocence, polling from two decades later reflects that most Americans believed he was guilty.
READ MORE: OJ Simpson threatened to kill himself in Kim Kardashian’s bedroom in resurfaced chat
Simpson ended up serving nine years for a sentence of up to 33 after for an unrelated armed robbery felony case in Las Vegas. He gained his freedom back in 2017, only to find himself locked in a seven-year-long crusade against prostate cancer.
Who’s at risk of prostate cancer?
According to the CDC, all males are susceptible to prostate cancer, but prevalence increases with age.
Men are often recommended to start regular screenings by the age of 50, unless a family history of the disease necessitates earlier testing (around the age of 45).
Astoundingly, “Out of every 100 American men, about 13 will get prostate cancer during their lifetime, and about two to three men will die from prostate cancer,” warns the CDC.
African-American men appear to be in an especially vulnerable group as they have a higher incidence rate and twice the mortality rate.
Family history and genetics can escalate the risk for certain individuals. You could fall into this bracket if you have a father, son, or brother who has had prostate cancer; both male and female relatives across three generations on your mother’s or your father’s side of the family have been diagnosed with it; the emergence of the dreaded disease has been confirmed before turning 55 or, other members of your family have been plagued with breast, ovarian or pancreatic cancer.
Prostate cancer signs and symptoms
The CDC has issued a warning to immediately seek medical attention if you experience certain symptoms, although it cautions that these signs do not automatically mean you have the condition:.