Entertainment Tragic Real-Life Stories
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ByWilliam Fischer
"Trial of the century," "Dream Team," "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit"— the catchphrases and descriptors of the O.J. Simpson trial have long since displaced the substance of the case in the public consciousness. Add to that comedians' quips, throwaway references, and parody after parody, and the whole thing can seem like a spectacle of pop culture. But behind all the laughs and commentary, there is still the fact that Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown, a woman who endured a long history of domestic abuse, was brutally murdered (per The Washington Post). And according to Marcia Clark, thelead prosecutor of the case, the bid for justice on her behalf was complicated by Simpson's celebrity and a volatile period in Los Angeles history (per Vox).
By the time of their divorce in 1992, only two years before Brown's murder, she and Simpson had been married seven years, and they had two children together — a boy and a girl. Per Court TV News, Simpson put the children into the custody of Brown's parents after her death and his arrest, with the understanding that he could move to regain guardianship upon release. His effort to do so created another protracted legal battle, as even after his petition was granted in 1996, Brown's parents continued to seek permanent custody (per the BBC).
Those children are grown now, as are Simpson's three children by a previous marriage. All have kept out of the intense spotlight trained on their father and family, but the continued fascination with Simpson hasn't allowed them to entirely escape notice. Here is what became of O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown's children.
Sydney Brooke Simpson
The oldest of O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown's children, Sydney Brooke Simpson, was born in 1985. In her childhood, she and her brother Justin got an early taste of the limelight when their parents brought them to the premiere of "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult," in which Simpson starred. The whole family lined up for photos on the red carpet. A more grisly form of publicity came when paparazzi and news cameras caught footage of the children attending their mother's funeral with their father, and reports confirmed she and Justin were upstairs sleeping when their mother was killed.
Publicity is something Sydney has sought to avoid since growing up. Per Georgia Newsday, except for a 2005 arrest, she made no headlines and did her best to keep up her anonymity. Sydney frequently moved as an adult, went by the name Portia as of 2014, and had no public photographs after 2009 until the George Newsday report. The piece found her working as a waitress in the same restaurant where her half-brother Jason was sous-chef. Other employees did not know they were related. By 2016, Sydney was reportedly living in St. Petersburg, Florida, along with her brother (per the Tampa Bay Times). She was involved in real estate and has a degree from Boston University, awarded in 2010.
Justin Ryan Simpson
The younger of O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown's children, Justin Ryan Simpson, was born in 1988, and he had the same early exposure to the media as his sister Sydney. Unlike his sister, there are no reports that Justin lived under another name for a time.Georgia Newsdayreported in 2014 that he worked as a busboy in the same restaurant as his sister and half-brother Jason. According to Tampa Bay Times,Justin, Sydney, and their half-sister Arnelleformed a short-lived company together, one that bore his name. But by 2016, his business was real estate.
It's a line of work he's evidently found satisfying, as he has remained a realtor ever since. Initially an agent forColdwell Banker, he was working for DHM Real Estate by 2019 (per E! News). His Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) pages are all named or otherwise connected to his business. However, his Instagram is more of a personal account, and none have been updated since 2022 — when he and his partner announced they were expecting a child. Justin told the Tampa Bay Times in 2016 that, while his career demanded long hours, he loved living in Florida. "It's gorgeous here," he said.
Their relationship with their father is unclear
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Sydney and Justin Simpson's low-key lifestyles haven't entirely kept them out of media gossip. Their father continued to have ongoing public controversies, including his arrest and conviction for armed robbery in 2008 (per The Guardian). Not to mentionretrospective documentaries and dramatizations of his trial for the murder of Nicole Brown. Both fueled interest in what became of the couple's children— and what their relationship with O.J. Simpson was like.
Georgia Newsday mentioned an alleged fight between Sydney and Simpson, during which Sydney is supposed to have accused him of killing her mother. Elsewhere, tabloids have shared various unverifiable claims. The National Enquirerpointed to unnamed sources claiming Sydney was sure of her father's guilt, but forgave him and sought to make peace with him during his incarceration. In 2019,Radar Online quoted her ex-boyfriend as saying that Sydney and Justin believed their mother was killed in a spoiled drug deal. Such claims remain rumors.
The siblings haven't made any public comment on their father's innocence or guilt. Radar Onlinequoted their aunt, Tanya Brown, as saying the now-grown children are leading happy and normal lives. She allegedly claimed they have probably discussed the issue with each other, but don't discuss it with family. "It's the pink elephant in the room that I hope never shows up," said Brown. "We don't talk about it." Simpson himself told AP (via USA Today) that he had a positive relationship with his children and they didn't discuss their mother's fate.
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