News of O.J. Simpson's death has understandably generated a slew of complicated reactions from celebrities online and in the media.
Among the first to weigh in were the ladies at The View, who got the news about Simpson's passing just before filming began.
At the very start of the broadcast, show co-host Whoopi Goldberg said to the audience, “Just before we went on air today, news broke that OJ Simpson has passed away. He was battling cancer. We didn’t want you to not know because we just got [the news.].”
Co-host Sunny Hostin weighed in with, “Can I just say, who doesn’t remember the trial of the century? It was an 11-month trial … where were you when OJ was in that Bronco?”
“I was on a date with a guy named Paul,” she continued. “I remember feeling a great sense of injustice happened; it’s one of the reasons I became a prosecutor. For me the tragedy was the injustice,” Hostin continued, referring to Simpson being found not guilty at the criminal trial.
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said, “I hope it gives some peace to the family of the victims … I agree it was a miscarriage of justice. I hope it helps them to find peace.”
All of the hosts of The View expressed the opinion that “Saying their names matters,” referring to the murder victims Ron Goldman and O.J.'s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson.
This sentiment seemed to be echoed on social media, where many posters were trying to get Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson's names trending at least as much as O.J. Simpson's (if not more so).
Celebrities were also taking to social media to weigh in with their thoughts about Simpson's passing. Caitlyn Jenner has had one of the most viewed responses on X/Twitter with the short comment “Good Riddance #OJSimpson.”
Good Riddance #OJSimpson
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) April 11, 2024
Jenner is personally connected to O.J. Simpson through the Kardashians. Jenner was married to Kris Jenner at the time of the O.J. trial and Kris Jenner had been close friends with Nicole Brown Simpson. The trial famously divided the Kardashian family since Kris Jenner's ex-husband Robert Kardashian was very close with O.J. Simpson and chose to represent him as his lawyer against the murder charges.
Another key reaction to the news came from the father of Ron Goldman, Fred Goldman — who strongly believed O.J. Simpson murdered his son and Nicole Brown Simpson and was frequently quoted by the media throughout the trial.
Goldman gave an interview to NBC News where he heartbreakingly said, “The only thing I have to say is it’s just further reminder of Ron being gone all these years. It’s no great loss to the world. It’s a further reminder of Ron’s being gone.”
Celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, who represented Nicole Brown Simpson's family during the O.J. trial, didn't mince words in her response to the news. She spoke to ABC7 in New York City to declare “I feel that the system failed Nicole Brown Simpson and failed battered women everywhere.”
“In the civil case which followed, he was found liable, responsible for her wrongful death,” she added. “So, it’s fair to call him a killer. In any event, I don’t mourn for O.J. Simpson. I do mourn for Nicole Brown Simpson and her family. They should be remembered. The system failed.”
If there is any theme to unite these varied responses to the news of O.J. Simpson‘s death, it seems to be trying to keep attention on the victims of the infamous murder trial — Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson. It's still to be determined if that will continue to be the prevailing sentiment as celebrity responses continue to pour in.
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