O.J. Simpson’s attorney has disputed claims that the former NFL star was surrounded by “children and grandchildren” at the time he passed on. Speaking to the Associated Press, longtime Simpson lawyer Malcolm LaVergne revealed that only one person was by Simpson’s side in his final moments.
While LaVergne refused to identify the person who was supposedly with Simpson at the time of his death, he did say it was a “close family member.”
It is unclear if it was any of Simpson’s four surviving kids, two of whom he shared with his former wife Nicole Brown, whose 1994 murder alongside her friend Ron Goldman turned around what would have been a shiny legacy and made Simpson a murder suspect even up till his death despite being acquitted in court of the double murder.
LaVergne’s claim regarding who Simpson spent his final days with negates a post from Simspon’s family announcing his April 10 death.
“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,” the post read.
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.
-The Simpson Family
— O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) April 11, 2024
Of Simpson’s four children, LaVergne said, “You have to remember that they’ve shared O.J. with the world their entire lives. At first they shared good O.J. But still he was famous. And then, in 1994 on, they kind of had to share bad boy O.J. with the world.
“But at the end of the day, these children just lost a father. And they have the added burden that he is one of the most famous people on the planet, and who is polarizing and who is surrounded by controversy,” he added.
LaVergne, who is handling Simpson’s estate, said that he spent some quality time with the former NFL running back at his rented country club home near the Las Vegas Strip just before Easter.
According to the lawyer, Simpson seemed fine at the time and was “awake, alert and chilling.”
“He’s on the couch … drinking a beer and watching TV. And so that was the last time we had effective back-and-forth conversations. He’s usually the one who keeps me up on the news … so we were just catching up on the news then,” he stated.
LaVergne had a different story for when he spoke with Simpson just before his death. According to him, the former football star could only muster the strength to ask for water and watch golf on TV.
LaVergne did not say whether Simpson made any deathbed confessions, despite unverified rumors that he confessed to the murders of Brown and Goldman.
