O.J. Simpson: What to Know About His Newly Updated Will
Two days after O.J. Simpson's death on April 10, his final will was filed in Clark County, Nevada. The former NFL star and controversial public figure died on Wednesday at age 76 following a battle with cancer.
Simpson's will was updated and signed by the late athlete on Jan. 25, and filed by Cassady Law Offices. The court documents obtained by ET explain that Simpson's longtime lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne, was named as the "personal representative" and executor of the will with his son, Justin Simpson, being named his successor.
Simpson, born Orenthal James Simpson and unmarried at his time of death, left behind four children, who were by his side at the time of his passing. He married his first wife, Marguerite Whitley, when he was 19 years old, in 1968. Together, the former couple welcomed three children -- daughter Arnelle, 55, son Jason, 53, and a daughter, Aaren, who died when she was just a year old after tragically drowning in the family's swimming pool.
Simpson met his second wife, Nicole Brown, while still married to Marguerite, in 1977. O.J. and Marguerite divorced in 1979, and he continued to date Nicole until they tied the knot in 1985. Together, they welcomed two children -- daughter Sydney, 38, and son Justin, 35. Nicole filed for divorce from O.J. in 1992.
OJ Simpson and his second wife, Nicole Brown, with their children.
In his will, Simpson requested his property be placed into The Orenthal Simpson Revocable Living Trust, and also signed that his last wishes for his remains would be attached to the will itself.
The will reads that it would be "administered as set forth herein without litigation or dispute of any kind" and that if a beneficiary, heir "or any other person" seeks to "set aside the administration of this Will, have this Will declared null, void or diminish, or to defeat any change any part of the provisions of this will," that they'd "receive, free of trust, one dollar ($1.00) and no more in lieu of any claimed interest in this will or its assets."
Regarding debt, the will states that Simpson's personal representative is to pay "costs of ancillary administration, expenses of my last illness and funeral, and at the discretion of my personal representative, to pay the cost of a suitable monument at my grave."
Simpson died owing a significant amount of money to the families of his ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend, Ron Goldman, after he was accused of their murder in 1994. Although Simpson was found not guilty of both murders and acquitted of criminal charges, he was unanimously found liable for the wrongful death of and battery against Ron and battery against Nicole.
In 1997, a civil trial jury ordered Simpson to pay $33.5 million, which, with interest over the past 27 years has ballooned to over $100 million.
The Goldman family attorney David Cook told People that Simpson only paid $133,000 of that judgment. "He died without penance. He did not want to give a dime, a nickel to Fred [Goldman, Ron's father], never, anything, never," Cook said of Simpson, adding that the judgment with accrued interest is now upwards of $114 million. "He [still] owes on the current status of the judgment."
Cook also said that a legal team needs to determine the value of Simpson's estate to decide whether it's worth posthumously pursuing his debt. "We need to get a lawyer or a number of lawyers who deal with this, very smart people to determine who it is or who it would be, and [start] taking depositions from people and/or finding out who they are and what information we need," Cook explained. "It's a big deal."
OJ Simpson
LaVergne, who was Simpson's attorney for over a decade, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he hoped the Goldman family got "zero" from the estate.
"It's my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing," LaVergne said. "Them specifically. And I will do everything in my capacity as the executor or personal representative to try and ensure that they get nothing."
He said he was referring to a debt collection lawyer working with the Goldman family who, "within an hour we announced Simpson's death, is bashing Simpson and all this stuff, 'We're going to do this and that.'"
He later clarified the statement when speaking to NBC News, saying he was referring to a debt collection lawyer rather than the actual Goldman family.
"In hindsight, in response to that statement that 'it's my hope they get zero, nothing,' I think that was pretty harsh," LaVergne said. "Now that I understand my role as the executor and the personal representative, it's time to tone down the rhetoric and really get down to what my role is as a personal representative."
LaVergne said he would invite a legal representative of the Goldmans to review his findings as he calculates the worth of Simpson's estate. "We can get this thing resolved in a calm and dispassionate manner," LaVergne said.
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