The former football star — born Orenthal James Simpson and nicknamed “The Juice” —  rose to fame as a record-breaking running back for the Buffalo Bills. He was the first player to rush over 2,000 yards in a single season and was named NFL’s player of the year three times in the '70s, per the Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame.

But Simpson's reputation as one of the greatest running backs of all time was overshadowed by a double-murder trial.

In June 1994, his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman were found stabbed to death in the courtyard of her California condo. After evading police and attempting to flee in his now-infamous white Bronco, Simpson surrendered and was charged with both of their murders.

Related: What Was O.J. Simpson's Life Like After Acquittal? A Look at His Final Years Before Death

His eight-month-long murder trial and controversial acquittal drew international attention that has yet to subside. On Jan. 29, Netflix released a new docuseries titled American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson that analyzed the 30-year-old case and featured interviews with witnesses who were allegedly never called to testify.

Simpson was later found liable for Nicole and Ron's deaths in a civil suit filed by their families and ordered to pay them $33.5 million.

Though he wasn’t found guilty of the double homicide, Simpson did serve time in prison for a different crime. He was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping after he and a group of men stole sports memorabilia at gunpoint from a Las Vegas hotel and casino in 2007. The Naked Gun actor was sentenced to 33 years with a minimum of nine years and was released in 2017.

Simpson spent the remainder of his life in Las Vegas, where he was later diagnosed with cancer. His family announced that he had died on April 10, 2024. Simpson was 76.

So, what happened to O.J. Simpson? Here are all the details about his cancer diagnosis and the aftermath following his death.

How did O.J. Simpson die?

The cause of Simpson’s death was metastatic prostate cancer — which carries a higher death risk for Black men, per the American Cancer Society. In May 2023, the former Hall of Fame player posted a video on X stating that he had “unfortunately caught cancer” and had completed chemotherapy treatment. At the time, Simpson didn’t state what kind of cancer he had been diagnosed with.

The following year, the former NFL player denied rumors that he had been put into hospice care and, in his final public video in February 2024, assured fans that he was still in good health.

“My health is good,” Simpson said in a video posted on X. “I mean, obviously I'm dealing with some issues. I think I'm just about over it and I'll be back on that golf course hopefully in a couple of weeks.”

After his death was announced in April 2024, Simpson's longtime lawyer confirmed that prostate cancer was the cause.

“I was pretty certain it was prostate cancer; ultimately, that was the cause," Malcolm LaVergne told PEOPLE. "He thought it had beaten it. I thought this was done, but you know how cancers go. They come back, and they come back with a vengeance."

When did O.J. Simpson die?

Simpson died on April 10, 2024, and his family announced the news on X the following day. He was 76 years old.

“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."

Simpson died in his Las Vegas home, which sat on the course of the Rhodes Ranch Golf Club, per his obituary in The New York Times. He was cremated on April 17 at Palm Mortuary in Las Vegas, per the Associated Press.

How did the public react to O.J. Simpson’s death?

Reactions to Simpson’s death were mixed. Magic Johnson expressed his sympathies to Simpson's children and grandchildren. Caitlyn Jenner, who had previously vocalized her beliefs that he got away with murder, wrote “Good Riddance” alongside a hashtag of his name in a post on X.

None of his former football teams publicly acknowledged his death on social media, per The Guardian. The Athletic reported that the Pro Football Hall of Fame lowered its flag to half-staff to honor Simpson's death.

Nicole’s sister, Dominique Brown, later told PEOPLE that Simpson’s death was “very complicated” for their family. Her sister, Tanya Brown, added, “This is a person who’s been in our life for a very long time, who wreaked havoc on our family. It’s like the end of a chapter.”

Fred Goldman, Ron's father, added that news of Simpson’s death was just a reminder of “how long Ron has been gone, how long we have missed him and nothing more than that.”

What is O.J. Simpson’s legacy?

Because he was such a polarizing figure, Simpson left behind a complicated legacy. He’s still considered one of the greatest running backs of all time, and he was one of the first Black athletes to earn a fanbase that expanded well beyond the stadium.

“He did a lot for the Black race even though he didn’t know it,” his former Buffalo Bills teammate Joe DeLamielleure told AP in April 2024. “He wasn’t Muhammad Ali or anything, but he was doing things for athletes and not just Black athletes, but he kicked us into a really big thing. That’s what I think of him. He was a groundbreaker.”

Simpson’s earlier position as a mega-celebrity made his double murder charge even harder to swallow for fans. His trial — the first to be televised from start to finish — unleashed a frenzy of tell-all books, interviews and 24/7 press coverage that forever changed how the media covers crime.

At the time of his death, over 30 books had been written about Simpson and the case, including his 2006 hypothetical confessional manuscript If I Did It.

“OJ Simpson played an important role in exposing the racial divisions in America,” Alan Dershowitz, one of Simpson’s former legal advisors, told AP. “His trial also exposed police corruption among some officials in the Los Angeles Police Department. He will leave a mixed legacy. Great athlete. Many people think he was guilty. Some think he was innocent.”

Simpson's story has also inspired many true crime documentaries, including Netflix's 2025 series American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson.