O.J. Simpson’s 1995 criminal trial for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman launched a real-life soap opera. Here are the main players today.
The so-called “Trial of the Century” — when OJ Simpson was acquitted for the brutal June 12, 1994, murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman — tore our polite society apart at the seams, exacerbating race relations and questions of justice.
But it also launched a real-life soap opera with jaw-dropping plot twists and a cast of characters more colorful than any Hollywood screenwriter could imagine. After Simpson’s death from cancer on April 11, 2024, at age 76, here are the main players in his trial universe:Marcia Clark
Lead prosecutor
Then: Clark was the case’s lead prosecutor, and she underwent a makeover to soften her image for jurors — perming her hair in a look that became a focal point of coverage.
She also became a target, the woman people seemingly loved to hate, and the National Enquirer published a topless photo of Clark during the trial. She simultaneously was locked in a custody battle with her ex-husband over their two young children and the media piled on, to the point that Clark had to release a public statement about being committed to her kids.
In 2016, Clark was portrayed by Sarah Paulson in the mini-series “American Crime Story: The People v. OJ Simpson,” which she said was difficult to watch: “It’s killing me all over again.”
Now: Clark, 70, took a leave of absence after losing the trial. She has written a series of crime novels and become a legal pundit and lecturer.Robert Kardashian
Simpson’s attorney and friend
Then: Kardashian and Simpsons became friends while students at the University of Southern California, and the football star even served as best man at Kardashian’s wedding to Kris Jenner Houghton (later Jenner).
Kardashian joined his friend’s legal team but, after the verdict, told Barbara Walters that he had “doubts” about Simpson’s innocence.
Now: He died of esophageal cancer at age 59 in 2003, four years before his children — Kim, Kourtney, Khloé and Robert — as well his ex-wife Kris rocketed to fame on TV’s “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”Johnnie Cochran
Lead attorney on Simpson’s legal ‘dream team‘
Then: Besides leading a team responsible for Simpson’s acquittal, Cochran was famous for cementing the line “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit” in popular culture. (It was a reference to Simpson being unable to fit into gloves, splattered with both victims’ blood, that were part of evidence.)
The lawyer gained a reputation for representing both the powerful and the underdog — saying he worked for “not only for the OJs, but also the No Js.” Cochran’s signature courtroom flamboyance and rhythmic cadence inspired a legendary “Seinfeld” character in attorney Jackie Chiles.
Now: Cochran died of brain cancer in 2005, at 68.Denise Brown
Nicole Brown Simpson’s sister
Then: Denise, a former model, testified at the criminal trial that Simpson verbally and physically abused Nicole, calling her a “fat pig” when she was pregnant. A visibly emotional Brown also said Simpson behaved strangely, glaring at Nicole during their daughter Sydney’s recital, on the day of the murders.
Now: Brown became an advocate for domestic abuse awareness and, in 2016, signed a deal with Peacock to develop a true crime series, which doesn’t seem to have come to fruition.Fred Goldman
Father of murder victim Ronald Goldman
Then: After his son, a waiter and tennis instructor, was brutally murdered alongside Nicole, the grieving father — with his signature handlebar mustache — became a steely and somber TV presence during the 1995 trial.
