For Nicole Brown and OJ Simpson‘s kids, the worst is yet to pass even as the death of their dad slowly sinks in. Before his death, the former football player lived with the smirch of allegedly murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown despite being acquitted of those charges. Hence, one would expect his relationship with his kids to be anything but rosy. Yet, the duo, Sydney and Justen were among the beloved family members who stayed beside OJ on his deathbed as he breathed his last. Save for that detail though, little has been heard about OJ Simpson and Nicole Brown’s kids as the impact of his death reverberates.
Ahead of the 30th anniversary of Nicole’s death on June 12, her three sisters Dominique, Denise and Tanya, granted an interview with ET, where they discussed their sister’s legacy and the two lives she left behind. The sisters divulged how after their mom’s passing, the family rallied around to protect the kids from the harsh media coverage, and their dad’s alleged involvement in the murder. Thankfully, they had a welcoming community which was more than happy to shield the children from it all, even removing all related magazines from the shelves. Dominique divulged,
“Well, fortunately, we lived in a community and kind of created a bubble around the kids. Our neighbourhood Safeway, the supermarket, didn’t put up the magazines.”
The simple gesture from their community gave the children a sense of normalcy, even as they grew into adults. In the wake of their dad’s death, history almost repeated itself, with the Trial of the Century becoming a hot topic once again. The two again became obvious targets for the media. Still, one variable made things different this time — Nicole Brown and OJ Simpson’s children have become adults, capable of making their own choices.
OJ Simpson’s Kids 30 Years Later
Justin and Sydney, now aged 35 and 38 respectively have continued the quiet, protected lives their maternal family established for them. They plan to keep it that way even with the resurgence of their mom’s murder case, and their dad’s highly publicised trial. During the interview, Nicole’s sister, Dominique passed across the one message OJ Simpson’s kids wanted the world to grasp from them. She quipped,
“They have their own families… They live normal lives. They want to be left alone and they have children of their own.”
After sharing the update on her niece and nephew, Dominque’s sister, Denise threw in a special plea for the media to comply with the kids’ request and let them be. She said,
“Please leave them alone. They just want to live normal and happy lives. They don’t have both parents. It’s hard for them. It’s sad. I don’t know if it’s hard, but it’s sad for them. And I think their privacy is important to them.”
For Nicole and OJ Simpson’s Kids, maintaining their privacy could also mean steering clear of the media perception of their parents. That includes the new Lifetime documentary about their mom titled The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson. Nicole’s sisters admittedly doubt if Sydney and Justin will ever watch the two-part documentary.
According to Nicole’s sister, Tanya, while the documentary had good tales about their mom, it would also shed light on their dad’s “horrible” deeds. Ultimately, that would expose them to the very things the family tried to protect them from three decades ago. In any case, the decision would be solely up to the duo, knowing it could completely alter their perception of their dad, forever.
The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson drops on June and June 2, at 8 p.m. on Lifetime.
