Simpson, who died in Las Vegas, had been battling prostate cancer.

In a statement on X, his family said: “On April 10th, 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.”

In 2023 Simpson said on X that he had been diagnosed with a type of cancer and in February he said he was undergoing chemotherapy for prostate cancer.

Savage reaction to Simpson’s death

Simpson’s death prompted a wave of reaction.

The father of Goldman said it was “no great loss”.

“The only thing I have to say is it’s just further reminder of Ron being gone all these years,” Fred Goldman told NBC News.

“It’s no great loss to the world. It’s a further reminder of Ron’s being gone,” the heartbroken father insisted.

Caitlyn Jenner, whose ex-wife Kris Jenner was previously married to the late Robert Kardashian, who defended OJ in court, simply tweeted: “Good riddance.”

Gloria Allred, who represented Nicole Brown Simpson’s family during OJ Simpson’s murder trial in one of the now-famous victims’ rights lawyer’s first big cases, told TMZ that the former NFL player’s death is a reminder of how the justice system failed women in abusive relationships.

“Simpson’s death reminds us that the legal system even 30 years later is still failing battered women, and that the power of celebrity men to avoid true justice for the harm that they inflict on their wives or significant others is still a major obstacle to the right of women to be free of the gender violence to which they are still subjected,” she said.

Allred also spoke to New York’s ABC/7, saying, “I don’t mourn for O.J. Simpson, I do mourn for Nicole Brown Simpson and her family and they should be remembered.”

“What was important was that there was some form of justice in the civil justice system that found that he was in fact liable for her wrongful death and the wrongful death of Ronald Goldman,” she added.

Comedian Dan Regan tweeted: “OJ Simpson has died. In unrelated news the killer of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman has died.”

Michelle Maxwell added: “Seems Hell gained a new resident.”

The White House kept its comment brief on Thursday, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying the family “have asked for some privacy. And so we’re going to respect that. I’ll just leave it there.”

Basketball legend Magic Johnson tweeted he was “praying for OJ Simpson’s children Arnelle, Aaren, Justin, Jason, and Sydney and his grandchildren following his passing. I know this is a difficult time”.

From stardom to shame

Simpson grew up in poverty and ill health but developed into an elite athlete, rising rapidly to stardom first as a college football player and then in the National Football League, where he won the 1973 Most Valuable Player award.

Simpson played 10 years in the NFL and became hugely popular with fans.

After his football career Simpson turned his attention to acting, starring in the Naked Gun film series alongside Leslie Nielsen.

However, while he soared to stardom Simpson’s home life was far from cheerful.

After divorcing his first wife in 1979, he married waitress Nicole Brown, who later accused him of vicious spousal abuse that included verbal taunts and physical beatings.

The couple divorced in 1992. Two years later, on June 12, 1994, Nicole and her friend, Ron Goldman, were found stabbed to death outside her Brentwood home.

Nicole had been stabbed so ferociously that her head was nearly decapitated.

Simpson – who shared two young children with Nicole – was arrested for the murders a few days later.

After he was charged, LA police pursued Simpson and his friend, former Buffalo Bills teammate Al Cowlings, in a white Bronco down a California freeway. Live footage of the car chase became one of the most-watched television events in history.

His murder trial the following year was a tabloid and media sensation, as the former football star’s “Dream Team” of high-profile lawyers tried to refute a seemingly damning stack of evidence.

Prosecutors painted Simpson as a scorned lover who murdered Nicole and Goldman in a jealous rage two years after she filed for divorce.

The blockbuster showdown became the stuff of legend when Simpson struggled to try on a blood-stained glove, prompting defense attorney Johnny Cochran to famously quip, “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.

Simpson’s acquittal on October 3, 1995 drew a mix of outrage, shock, and celebration across the US.

The case was a humiliating loss for prosecutors who were expected to net a conviction for the struggling Los Angeles DA’s office.

Despite avoiding criminal charges, Simpson was ordered to pay the famlies of Brown and Goldman more than $33 million in civil proceedings for wrongful death and battery.

In 2008 Simpson was sentenced to 9 years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery after breaking into a Las Vegas hotel room in an attempt to recover sports memorabilia he thought had been stolen from him.

He was released from prison in 2017.