Simpson was considered one of the greatest ever running backs when playing for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, before being acquitted of two murders in a sensational mid-90s trial, and later jailed for armed robbery.
His children announced his death on X, saying: “On April 10, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.
“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace. -The Simpson Family.”
After he retired from the NFL in 1979, Simpson became a commentator and then an actor in films, including in comedy The Naked Gun.
In 1994, he was accused of the brutal knife slaying of former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was expected to turn himself in, but instead led police on a lengthy, low-speed police chase which was watched live by tens of millions of people in the US and around the world, with networks cutting out of programs to cross to the drama.
An 11 month trial which was noted for its division along racial lines ended with Simpson being found not guilty of the murders, with an estimated 100 million people tuning in to watch the verdict.
Three years later, a civil jury found Simpson guilty of wrongful death and battery against Goldman, and battery against his ex-wife. He was ordered to pay $33 million in damages.
Simpson was later jailed following an armed robbery in Las Vegas in 2007 and served nine years before being released in 2017.
The People V OJ Simpson: American Crime Story aired in 2016 and won a number of Emmys for its portrayal of the murder trial.
Cuba Gooding Jr played Simpson and said on the red carpet: “I remember watching the Knicks game and then turning it to the chase and putting the game on the radio and listening to it, but watching the chase so we didn’t miss anything crazy.”
John Travolta, who played Simpson’s defence lawyer Robert Shapiro, said: “It’s probably the most prominent celebrity crime story that ever happened. It was part of our American history with our favourite sport.”
– with AAP
