O.J. Simpson managed to stir controversy at Sunday night’s BET Awards when the former NFL star, accused murderer, and convicted kidnapper was featured in the show’s In Memoriam segment.
According to The Hollywood Reporter , “a noticeable silence fell over the crowd” when Simpson’s face popped up amongst legends like Carl Weather, Willie Mays, and Ron Cephas Jones. “A moment later, there was a smattering of applause,” the outlet reported, “but many in the audience were a bit surprised to see his face, with one person in attendance noticing some titters among the crowd.”
"It's never easy to say goodbye to those who influence us, but we can take a moment to celebrate and acknowledge their contributions to the culture," actress Tia Mowry said as she introduced the segment.
Simpson was a college football star before becoming one of the most celebrated players in NFL history. He later parlayed his success into acting roles in The Towering Inferno and, most famously, the Naked Gun franchise.
However, his legacy is overshadowed by the accusation that he murdered his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, in 1994. Simpson was prosecuted in the “trial of the century,” but was found not guilty. He was later convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping after an ill-fated Las Vegas robbery and spent nearly 10 years in prison. He was released in 2017.
When Simspon died at age 76 back in April, his demise was met with a flurry of opposing reactions. Predictably, his inclusion at the BET Awards had the same effect.
Some, however, contended that BET did the right thing by including Simpson.
Others, who hadn’t heard of Simpson’s passing, thanked the BET Awards for their inadvertent public service.
BET has not publicly addressed the decision to include Simpson in the In Memoriam segment.
Most Popular
Comments / 0