Opinion
The Truth About O.J. Simpson’s Kids—Where Are They Now?
The trial of O.J. Simpson back in the 1990s captured the attention of Americans everywhere, not to mention viewers and media outlets across the world. It was astonishing when this much-loved personality was accused of murdering his ex-wife and her friend, and the world was glued to the news updates as we watched the trial unfold.
But as well as a huge public drama, not everyone thinks about the people it must have affected the most—Simpson’s kids.
Image by Shutterstock (716526c)
Let’s take a look at how each of his children coped with the scandal and where they are in their lives today.
O.J.’s Offspring
You have almost definitely heard of O.J. Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown, but how much do you really know about his children? The truth is, the fallen star actually has had a total of five children—three daughters and two sons.
His first child is a daughter, Arnelle, born in 1968. Then came his son Jason in 1970. His third child was daughter Aaren in 1977, followed by another daughter Sydney in 1985. His youngest child is his son Justin, born in 1988.
Image by Bei/Shutterstock (5132493f)
Quite a brood—but we bet you don’t know the full story of all of their lives and fates.
Double Digits
Even though Simpson’s marriage to Nicole Brown was obviously the most famous and perhaps infamous relationship in celeb history, not many people know that it actually wasn’t even his first marriage. Because long before he met her, he was actually married to someone else—his high school sweetheart Marguerite Whitley.
Pitter Patter
After tying the knot with Marguerite Whitley, it wasn’t long before O.J. Simpson started a family with her. In 1968, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Arnelle. Then in 1970, Whitley gave birth to their second child, a son named Jason Lamar. In 1977 their third child was born, Aaren Lashone Simpson.
A Wandering Eye
By now, it appeared that O.J. Simpson had a truly perfect and idyllic home life, the truth behind closed doors was very different. Because even though Simpson was now married to Whitley and the couple had three children together, the truth was that he was not altogether satisfied—or faithful—in his marriage.
An Affair to Remember
Even though Simpson was a married man, he and Brown couldn’t keep away from each other, and eventually began having an affair. Did his wife know about the encounter? Perhaps she did at first, but just chose to turn a blind eye to the situation.
However, she couldn’t ignore it for too long, especially when Simpson and his mistress decided to move in together—even though he was still married!
As Simpson and Whitley entered their separation, they had no idea the tragedy that was about to strike.
Tragedy Strikes
By this time, Simpson had moved out of his family home, and separated from his wife as he began living with his new love. Of course, it must have been an incredibly difficult time for everyone, with the family as they knew it being torn apart and having to settle in to a new living situation.
But no one could have imagined the tragedy that would befall them—when shortly before her second birthday, their daughter Aaren fell into a swimming pool and drowned.
Initially slipping into a coma, the little girl tragically passed away, leaving both her parents devastated.
Wedding Bells
As you can imagine, Simpson and Whitley must have been utterly devastated by the death of their little baby girl. Even though they were now separated, their love for their daughter remained a uniting factor, and the grief they felt was incredible.
However, as time went on, Simpson settled more and more into his new home, and found comfort in his life with Brown.
This new relationship seemed to be a happy ending for him, when the two of them married in February 1985.
Little did anyone know that the drama was just beginning.
Bundle of Joy
As you can imagine, after Simpson and his new wife had finally tied the knot, thoughts turned quickly to starting a family. He already had welcomed three children and tragically lost one of them, so it was with bittersweet joy that the newlyweds welcomed a child together in 1985, a daughter named Sydney.
It seemed that they had finally found happiness and established a new family unit—but things were about to get even more explosive.
Special Delivery
It seemed that O.J. and Nicole Simpson were truly living the dream together—despite their rocky start, the two were now happily married and the proud parents to a beautiful baby girl. And a few years later in 1988, the couple welcomed their second child together—a boy named Justin.
It was rumored that this was exactly the family Brown had always dreamed of—a loving husband, one son, and one daughter.
But despite the picture-perfect image they created, all was not happy behind the scenes.
Splitsville
After his first marriage ended in infidelity and tragedy, it seemed that Simpson had finally found happiness with his second wife Nicole Brown. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and the truth was that behind closed doors the couple was experiencing terrible marriage problems and conflicts.
And that’s why in 1992, the two of them separated and Brown moved out of the family home, taking her son and daughter with her.
Deadly Disaster
After two years of separation, in 1994 Nicole Brown was brutally attacked outside her home, a violent attack that ended in her death. Brown and her companion Ron Goldman were both stabbed multiple times outside her LA condo.
With her children asleep upstairs, Brown was found dead outside her home a few hours later. And with this murder, began one of the most infamous trials in American history.
The People v. O.J. Simpson
What ensued next was one of the most famous and shocking trials in U.S. legal history. It ran for about nine months, and the high-profile court procedures and public interest meant that the whole saga went down in history and is still talked about.
Simpson sold his football assets to pay for his $50,000-a-day legal team, consisting of Johnnie Cochran, F. Lee Bailey Robert Shapiro, Marcia Clark, and of course his close friend Robert Kardashian.
And this team would have other implications for the rest of the world and U.S. history.
Keeping Up
As you probably know, Robert Kardashian was one of the most famous and successful lawyers in LA at the time, although he was already retired from the business. However, he came out of retirement to defend his friend O.J. Simpson—and unwittingly catapulted his own family right into the media spotlight.
Looking Back
These days, Kim Kardashian and her family are incredibly famous in their own right, and are no longer even really associated with the memories of that infamous trial. But Kardashian herself has opened up about the memories of that fateful time, and how they stayed with her forever.
“My mom was extremely vocal on her feelings,” she said to David Letterman. “She believed that her friend was murdered by [Simpson] and that was really traumatizing for her. And then we’d go to my dad’s house and it was a whole other situation there … It tore my family apart, I’d say, for the whole time of the trial.”
Free to Go
After nine months of incredibly dramatic testimony and high-profile reporting, it was finally time for the jury to deliver their verdict on the O.J. Simpson case. 115 million people tuned in to their TVs and the world watched with bated breath as Simpson awaited his fate, and the decision of the court.
It seemed to many that there was no way he could not be found guilty—but Simpson’s legal team had clearly pulled off the impossible, when in 1995 he was found not guilty of both counts of murder.
Where Do We Go From Here
For much of the world, the drama of the last year or so had come to an explosive end, with O.J. Simpson being acquitted of all charges and returning to normal life.
But of course, behind closed doors, things were a very different matter. Because the children of this marriage had obviously been through an incredibly difficult time—losing their mother to murder, and then watching their father go through a very public trial as the suspect of killing her.
And now it was time to put their lives back together—but would this even be possible?
Second Thoughts
The world was amazed when O.J. Simpson was acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. Many people believed that it was truly obvious he was guilty, and it was simply his vast amounts of money that allowed him to pay for the legal team that eventually helped him squeeze out of punishment.
But this evasion of justice wouldn’t last for long, as a new civil court ruling in 1997 found him responsible for their deaths, and ordered him to pay $33.5 million.
But Simpson didn’t pay—instead moving to Miami to avoid the charges.
New Normal
Can you imagine how difficult it must have been for O.J. Simpson’s children during this time? Not only had they had to watch their father going through a very public murder trial, they obviously had to deal with the grief of losing their mother.
And so it was between both Simpson and Nicole’s families to split up custody of the poor children, and try to give them as normal a life as possible.
Splitting their time between the two families, the children now had a chance to live their lives outside of the media glare.
Loving Aunt
Of course, it wasn’t just the children who suffered greatly from the terrible tragedy of Nicole Simpson’s murder. But the entire family had to deal with the pain and heartbreak of the bereavement, and in particular it was Nicole’s sister Tanya who had to bear the anguish of losing her sibling while also trying to look after her children.
It must have been incredibly hard, but even today she has managed to maintain a civil relationship with Simpson—for the sake of the children.
But how have the children themselves coped—and where are they today?
The Prodigal Son
Of course all of O.J. Simpson’s children were greatly affected by the tragedy and ensuing trial, but one could argue that Simpson’s oldest son Jason was the hardest hit by the drama—as he was actually implicated himself in the case.
Because during the trial, rumors abounded that the younger Simpson had also had something to do with the violent murder—something that their lawyer condemned widely, and Jason himself spoke about in his father’s acquittal speech.
However, there was nevertheless a reason behind these wild rumors.
Violent Tendencies
Even though the rumors of Jason Simpson having something to do with Nicole’s murder were proved to be entirely untrue and not fair, the idea of O.J.’s oldest son having violent tendencies and being guilty of crimes was actually not entirely baseless.
Because the younger Simpson did in fact have quite a colorful history when it came to previous crimes, including attacking people with knives and even violently cutting his ex-girlfriend’s hair off.
This obviously didn’t do him or his family any good when it came to their public image—or their ideas about violence running in the family.
Tough Times
As well as his son Jason, O.J. Simpson also shared a difficult and sometimes strained relationship with his daughter Sydney. Sydney was pretty young when her parents split up, and when her mother was brutally murdered, having to grow up in the shadow of a great tragedy and dark patch on the family history.
And so it comes as no surprise that she had a pretty difficult time growing up, and as she became a person of her own, had a lot of anger and resentment towards her infamous father.
Call the Cops
As you can imagine, Sydney Simpson was obviously too young to really understand what was going on when her mother was murdered and her father put on trial for the crime, but when she grew up she slowly developed her own opinions on the matter.
And as a young adult, Sydney once famously publicly berated her father and accused him of indeed being her mother’s killer.
And another time, the then 17-year-old called the cops on her father accusing him of violent behavior—though she later dismissed it as just a domestic dispute.
Public Struggles
Though Sydney was clearly upset by the terrible things that had befallen her and her family, sadly it appeared that she had also inherited some of the more violent tendencies that were alleged to have plagued both her father and brother.
Because in 2005, she was accused of attacking two teenage girls, with the police even having to get involved and remove her from the situation.
And when she was 29 years old, she changed her name and began living a totally new life, away from the shadow of the Simpson name and history.
Back in the Dock
Having escaped a lengthy prison sentence and the blame for one of the most high-profile murder cases in history, you’d think O.J. Simpson might live the rest of his life trying to avoid any trouble or run-ins with the law.
But in 2007, he bizarrely led an Oceans 11-style heist at the Palace Station hotel casino, attempting to steal the sports memorabilia he had so long ago sold to pay for his pricey legal bills.
And that wasn’t even the only crime he committed during this time.
Crimes and Misdemeanors
As well as the totally weird theft of sports memorabilia, Simpson also was found guilty of other crimes during that time—namely armed robber and kidnapping!
This time, the fallen star was sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence—a whopping 33 years behind bars.
The sentencing was obviously devastating for the disgraced sportsman, but in many ways, it was his children who were really hit with the life sentence—as they continued to struggle to build their existence after their traumatic childhoods.
Financial Woes
During this time, it wasn’t just Jason and Sydney Simpson that exhibited signs that they had been truly disturbed and damaged by their violent childhoods and the painful suffering they had had to endure in the public eye at a young age.
Because O.J.’s first child, his daughter Arnelle, in many ways bore the brunt of the entire saga, being left with the financial responsibilities of the entire family—including her father’s pension.
Sadly, she did not cope with this very well, losing a lot of the money in the lengthy legal battles—and also allegedly on her own shopping and drinking addictions.
On the Job
And the financial strains and responsibilities of the entire Simpson family wasn’t the only thing that weighed down on poor Arnelle and left her stressed and traumatized.
Because she was the oldest of his children and handling a lot of their affairs, she also became the most recognizable and famous throughout the media.
The spotlight allowed her to try out a different number of jobs, such as short-lived stints as both a rapper and a fashion producer.
But the pressures of fame would eventually get to her in more ways than one.
The Kids Aren’t All Right
As Arnelle was the oldest of all of the Simpson kids, a lot of the responsibility fell to her when it came to looking after her younger siblings. Of course, her parents’ families both did what they could to support them, but the early years of Arnelle’s adulthood were still very much taken up with looking after her bereaved younger siblings.
Drowning Her Sorrows
Sadly, the more Arnelle Simpson struggled to cope with her difficult family situation, the more she turned to numbing her feelings and pain by using alcohol and drugs.
Arnelle quickly became known as somewhat of a party girl, and a super-spendy one at that—famously paying the bill for everyone’s drinks, just to keep herself surrounded with fellow boozers.
She was soon drinking from morning to night, with everyone around her seriously concerned about her spiraling addiction.
Second Chance
As his children continued to struggle to find their place in the world after their incredibly difficult start in life, O.J. Simpson was still serving his lengthy prison sentence, not due to be released until 2041.
But actually in 2017, he ended up being released after only nine years, and finally he was free once again to start his life—even though by this point he had still not paid the money he still owed for Brown’s and Goldman’s death.
But the more important question was, would he ever be able to repair the relationship with his children—or the damage he had done to their lives?
A Quiet Life
Though all of the Simpson children had undoubtedly incredibly difficult upbringings, it’s arguably Arnelle who had the hardest time of it, as the burden of looking after all her younger siblings fell to her, not to mention the obligations of looking after the family’s finances.
And though the world watched in horror as she appeared to be heading down a dark spiral of drinking problems, these days she lives a quiet and peaceful life away from the media, just like she always wanted.
Foot and Mouth
It’s great to hear that after all her trials and tribulations, Arnelle Simpson has now settled down into a more peaceful way of life. But what about her equally infamous and troubled brother Jason?
Well, we know he went through his own struggles and issues with violent tendencies. But then he seemed to find a healthier outlet for them—on the football pitch and in the kitchen!
After a brief but respectable career as an Army and Navy Academy footballer, he became a chef, and now works at restaurant in Atlanta.
Keeping it Real
After so many trials and tribulations, Jason Simpson was finally able to find a way to channel his energies into something healthy and productive.
And as for his sister Sydney, she also had some of her own anger issues, but she managed to put her past behind her when she gained a BA in Sociology from Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences.
These days, she runs her own real-estate business, Simpsy LLC, managing properties in the St. Petersburg, Florida area. Good for her!
Smooth Talker
Having heard the long and often painful saga of O.J. Simpson and his children’s ensuing struggles, one name is notably absent from the story—that of his youngest son Justin.
Well, perhaps it was because he was young enough to escape the brunt of the drama surrounding his family, but Justin managed to stay more or less on the straight and narrow, becoming a real-estate agent just like his sister Sydney.
He’s rumored to be just as charming as his father, but he puts it to more wholesome use—selling houses and making an honest business.
Looking to the Future
Considering what a difficult and challenging time the Simpson children had during their early lives, it’s amazing to see how they have all grown up and managed to put their painful pasts behind them.
Though of course they will never forget the pain of losing Nicole and having to sit through their father’s much publicized legal battles, it is clear they have come through the other side. The Simpson children and their strength, resilience and hope for the future, are an inspiration to us all.
Viva Las Vegas
Despite the crimes and misdemeanors over the years, O.J. Simpson is a free man these days. He was acquitted of all murder charges, although later in the civil court, he was in fact ruled as responsible for the deaths. We are not sure why this did not result in a prison sentence, but there you go.
After leaving prison, he settled down in what is often called Sin City-none other than Las Vegas, Nevada. But why did he not simply return to Florida? The answer may surprise you.
Banned For Life
When O.J. Simpson moved to Florida, he did so to escape the fines and charges that had been ruled against him by the court. Now that he was being released, the state’s attorney general released a strongly worded letter about how they felt about him returning.
Not Welcome Here
Even though Florida is often famous as somewhat of a haven for tax avoiders, the people of the Sunshine State felt very strongly about not letting this particular criminal back in, and made it very public that they did not want O.J. Simpson returning to their borders.
“The specter of his residing in comfort in Florida should not be an option,” wrote Bondi. “Numerous law enforcement officials in Florida agree with this position. Our state should not become a country club for this convicted criminal.”
Making Peace
Even though he was not exactly on good terms with the entire state of Florida, it seems that O.J. Simpson has at least been able to repair relationships with some people in his life—namely, his children. After being through so much, Simpson’s offspring simply want to move on and look forward to the future.
“We don’t need to go back and relive the worst day of our lives,” Simpson said to AP. “My family and I have moved on to what we call the ‘no negative zone.’ We focus on the positives.”
The Good Life
After having been through so much and finally released from prison, just what does O.J. Simpson do now to fill his time and support himself through life? He probably can’t afford to rob any more sports memorabilia at gunpoint to secure funds, so these days he has to take what work he can get.
Despite being a convicted criminal, he’s still somewhat of a celeb—so he makes a bit of money holding interviews and autograph sessions with fans.
Money Matters
Of course, we must not forget that throughout all of this terrible saga, Simpson continued to receive his pension from the NFL, which as you can imagine is pretty considerable.
Back to the Beginning
Screenshot from “O.J.: Made in America”
It was the year 1947, in San Francisco, California, when Orenthal James Simpson was born. His mother was Eunice Durden, and she worked as a hospital administrator. His father was Jimmy Lee Simpson, and he was in fact surrounded by mystery.
Dad in Drag
Screenshot from “O.J.: Made in America”
Not only that, but many press reports and biographers claim that Simpson Sr. later went on to come out as gay. When he died in 1986, many people claim that he in fact had contracted HIV and died of AIDS. So what was really the truth?
Daddy Issues
Though we can’t really know the truth of O.J. Simpson’s father and his private life, we do know that he left the family at some point, leaving Simpson’s mother to raise the children on his own.
Screenshot from “O.J.: Made in America”
“I resented his absence,” Simpson revealed in an interview with Parents magazine via the New York Times. “Especially when I became a teenager and was trying to find out who I was. I really needed a man around then for guidance.” Perhaps, it was the tumultuous nature of his family life that led Simpson toward his violent tendencies.
What’s In A Name
Can you imagine how strange and difficult it must have been, for O.J. Simpson to grow up without a father, not knowing the truth about his whereabouts or what he might be doing with his life? Well if you think that’s uncertain enough, imagine not actually knowing what your own name is!
Screenshot from “O.J.: Made in America”
Braced for Success
Though we think of O.J. Simpson as being the epitome of large and aggressive manly strength, the truth is that his early years featured a great deal of health issues. In fact, as a young child he was struck with the disease of rickets. And the young Simpson in fact had to wear braces on his leg, which he had until the age of five.
Screenshot from “O.J.: Made in America”
The braces caused him to develop his famous bowlegged stance, which at the time his classmates teased him about. Did this cause him to develop a murderous rage that would one day come out in violence?
Bad Boy
From a young age, it was pretty clear that O.J. Simpson wasn’t going to follow any sorts of rules, and was certainly known as somewhat of a rebel. Growing up in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, he was part of a street gang known as the Persian Warriors, and even spent some time in a youth detention center for his early crimes.
Image by George Sand/Wikimedia Commons
His first wife Marguerite, who of course knew him even then, told People magazine that he was “really an awful person then”.
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