OJ Simpson dead: Family announces death of OJ Simpson at the age of 76

His family announced the news in a statement today. He had been suffering from cancer.

Simpson was acquitted of the murder of his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in 1995.

During the trial he was represented by reality star Kim Kardashian’s father, Robert Kardashian.

He was later jailed following an armed robbery in Las Vegas in 2007 and served a lengthy sentence before being released in 2017.

Simpson found fame as a running back for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers from 1969 to 1979, but will always be remembered for the court case, dubbed the “trial of the century”.

His trial was televised around the country and, although he was acquitted, he was later found liable for their deaths in a civil lawsuit and was ordered to pay £26.7million pounds to the victims of the families.

News of Simpson’s death was announced by his children on his X account.

“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” read a statement.

“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. -The Simpson Family”

Simpson was also an actor and starred in a number of successful films, including Towering Inferno and Naked Gun, in a Hollywood career that began in 1974 while in the middle of his playing career.

He had been a popular figure in America because of his sporting prowess and he is still recognised as one of the NFL’s great running backs.

He was named Most Valuable Player in 1973 after becoming the first player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season, one of a host of records that saw him admitted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.

But having carved out a fruitful career as a broadcaster and actor once he retired from the 49ers, he was propelled to global infamy in 1994 when he attempted to escape police in a low speed car chase in LA.