OJ Simpson: Family of Ron Goldman, who was killed alongside Nicole Brown, breaks silence

The family of Ron Goldman, who was murdered alongside Nicole Brown 30 years ago, have broken their silence on OJ Simpson’s death.

Goldman, 25, and Brown, 35, were stabbed to death on June 12, 1994 outside Brown’s home in Brentwood, California.

Simpson, Brown’s ex-husband, was charged with and stood trial for the double murder in 1995 — in what became known as the “trial of the century” — but was eventually acquitted by the jury.

On Thursday (local time) Ron’s sister and father, Kim and Fred, released a statement sharing their “complicated” feelings about Simpson’s death.

“The news of Ron’s killer passing away is a mixed bag of complicated emotions and reminds us that the journey through grief is not linear,” it reads.

“For three decades, we have tirelessly pursued justice for Ron and Nicole, and despite a civil judgment and his confession in If I Did It, the hope for true accountability has ended.”

The pair promised to continue their advocacy for the rights of “victims and survivors” even though Simpson had died.

“Thank you for keeping our family and most importantly Ron, in our hearts for the last 30 years.”

Hours after news of Simpson’s death broke, Fred Goldman told NBC News that it was “no great loss to the world”, and a heavy reminder of how long his son had been dead.

Although Simpson had been acquitted of murder at trial, in 1997 a civil court found the disgraced NFL star liable for Brown and Goldman’s deaths and awarded their families $US33.5 million in damages — the equivalent of almost $AUD100 million today.

David Cook, the Goldman family’s attorney who has been chasing that money since 2008, said Simpson “died without penance”, AP News reports.

Caitlyn Jenner celebrates Simpson’s death

Caitlyn Jenner has bid a brutal two-word farewell to OJ Simpson after the disgraced football star died at the age of 76 this week.

Jenner, 74, posted to X — formerly Twitter — a short but scathing reaction to the news.

“Good Riddance #OJSimpson,” she wrote.

The former Olympian was married to Kris Jenner when Brown, her best friend, was murdered.

Nicole and OJ had been divorced for two years but their family still reportedly holidayed with the Kardashian-Jenners.

Kris’ first husband Robert Kardashian led Simpson’s legal defence in “the trial of the century”, in a move that Caitlyn has said almost split the family in two.

In the 30 years since the trial, Caitlyn has been vocal about her belief that Simpson got away with murder.

Appearing on Dr Phil in 2009, Jenner said she always knew Simpson “had a dark side” and that she and Kris always knew “he did it”.

“The DNA evidence proved there was three people at the scene: OJ, Nicole, and Ron, and so you pick the murderer,” she said.

She added that despite supporting Robert Kardashian’s decision to be on “the OJ Dream Team” as his defence counsel, “it was something that really did tear us apart”.

“I remember the day the verdict came through and the girls [Kourney, Kim, and Khloe] came in and they said, ‘I told you he didn’t do it’,” Jenner said.

“We sat down and I said, ‘Look, just because he got a not guilty verdict doesn’t mean he didn’t do it, and I just don’t want to hear his name anymore.’ And I had a lot of conversations with Robert to try to make sure it didn’t tear the family apart.”

In Jenner’s 2017 autobiography The Secrets Of My Life, she said the former NFL star was “the most narcissistic, egocentric, neediest a***ole in the world of sports I had ever seen, and I had seen a lot of them.”

She also spoke candidly about the trial when she appeared on the 2022 season of Big Brother VIP Australia, telling housemates it an “extraordinarily difficult time”.

“Obviously he did it, and he got away with it. And at one point he even told Nicole, ‘I’ll kill you and get away with it ‘cause I’m O.J. Simpson,” she said.

“And Nicole relayed that on to Kris at some point, and unfortunately she was right.”

OJ and Nicole’s children, Sydney and Justin, are yet to speak individually.

Nicole Brown’s ex-boyfriend Keith Zlomsowitch — who reportedly served as a pallbearer at her funeral — told NBC News that Simpson’s death was a “relief”.

“I think finally some sort of justice has been served, that he’s been taken from the earth,” he said.

Gloria Allred, who represented the Brown family in the murder trial, said Simpson’s death was a reminder of the legal system’s failures to protect “battered women” from harm.

“I feel that the system failed Nicole Brown Simpson and failed battered women everywhere,” she told ABC News.

“I don’t mourn for O.J. Simpson. I do mourn for Nicole Brown Simpson and her family and they should be remembered.”

David Zucker, who directed Simpson in two Naked Gun movies, posted a frank tribute to “Nordberg” on Instagram.

“His acting was a lot like his murdering: He got away with it, but no one believed him,” he wrote.

The sports world reacts to Hall of Famer’s death

Despite being touted as one of the greatest running backs of all time — after 11 seasons in the NFL — the sports world has remained largely silent on the death of OJ Simpson.

Simpson was inducted into the the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, his first year of eligibility, 10 years before the murder trial that would come to overshadow his sporting legacy.

The NFL website, which usually shares glowing tributes and memorial videos of passed stars, initially used agency copy to report Simpson’s death. It was later updated into a lengthy obituary to a man who “transcended football”.

The Buffalo Bills — where Simpson rose to fame and played most of his career — has not acknowledged his death; neither has his other NFL team San Francisco 49ers, nor college team USC.

On Friday, Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said: “O.J. Simpson was the first player to reach a rushing mark many thought could not be attained in a 14-game season when he topped 2,000 yards.”

“His on-field contributions will be preserved in the Hall’s archives in Canton, Ohio.”