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Disgraced NFL player OJ Simpson died after a battle with cancer, and his official cause of death rules out any lingering doubt. Earlier this year, news of the former football star’s death flooded the media following an announcement from his family confirming his passing at 76. According to the reports, the legend received a heads-up weeks prior. Hence, he got the chance to bid final farewells to his loved ones who surrounded him as he breathed his last at his Las Vegas home.
Former NFL Star OJ Simpson’s Official Cause of Death Revealed
Weeks later, OJ Simpson’s official cause of death has been revealed. The icon’s longtime attorney, Malcolm LaVerne, confirmed to news outlets that OJ died from prostate cancer, as indicated in his official death certificate. Notably, the report conforms with earlier suspicion about his cause of death, having battled the disease in his last months.
In the months leading to his death, OJ Simpson secretly battled prostate cancer, taking stringent measures to keep his health woes from the public. Back in May 2023, the disgraced former footballer revealed on X, formerly Twitter, that he “caught cancer.” At the time, he also claimed he beat the disease after undergoing the “chemo thing,” putting hearts to rest. Barely a year later, things took a different turn.
News of his cancer diagnosis made headlines in February 2024 after a Florida news channel reported his admission into a hospice. However, OJ quickly hopped on social media to debunk the reports of his cancer battle or hospitalization. He maintained his stance publicly until his passing. Malcolm, the NFL alum’s attorney, claimed OJ Simpson truly believed he beat cancer for good in his statement confirming his cause of death. He divulged,
“He thought he had beaten it. I thought this was done, but you know how cancers go. They come back, and they come back with a vengeance.”
OJ’s Legacy Shrouded in Mystery, Much Like His Life
Malcolm’s portrayal of OJ as being in the dark about his condition indeed justifies his denial after the news of him receiving care in hospice broke out in February. Yet, it’s hard to ignore the NDA drama. Earlier, TMZ reported that those closest to OJ knew of his impending “transition,” having received warnings from his doctors. Hence, select friends and family trooped in during his final week to pay their last respects as he lay on his deathbed.
Even then, OJ Simpson strived to keep his condition private, imposing NDAs on visitors. If these reports were anything to go by, then he most likely knew what he was dealing with despite his public insistence that “all is well.” Then there was the drama surrounding his feared “massive heart attack” following heart surgery last year, which the actor denied.
Veering away from his health and the actual cause of death, OJ Simpson had many more two-edged mysteries shrouding his existence. His infamous double-murder case in connection with the death of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman tops the list of these mysteries to date. Despite his acquittal, many still fancy OJ a monster, seeking out the slightest stench on his integrity to pin him to the murders. What legacy does he leave behind, then? Not guilty, yet not innocent? Or perhaps, one clouded with lies and uncertainties and secrets untold.