Tia Mowry, 45, introduced the moment as a tribute to “the black excellence that we unfortunately lost this year,” saying, “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.”
O.J. Simpson’s image, as shown at the BET Awards “In Memoriam” segment. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Simpson’s 1994 mug shot. ABACA/Shutterstock Simpson isn’t most famous for his NFL career. Focus on Sport via Getty Images
“No f–king way they added OJ SIMPSON in the tribute,” one outraged fan wrote on X .
“OJ Simpson being honored……. We’ve lost the plot [for real],” another viewer said.
“lol OJ Simpson in memoriam for anything is WILD no matter how you slice it,” another post remarked.
Simpson on the San Francisco 49ers. AP Simpson was acquitted of killing his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, but the verdict is widely considered to be an injustice. AFP via Getty Images Simpson was famously on trial for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson. Getty Images
During his NFL days, Simpson won four NFL rushing titles, rushed for 11,236 yards over his career, scored 76 touchdowns, and was featured in five Pro Bowls.
He also had an acting career, appearing in hit movies such as “The Naked Gun.”
Despite a seemingly damning stack of evidence, Simpson was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman — and that verdict is widely considered to be one of the great failures of the American justice system.
Simpson was more famous for the murder trial than his football or acting careers. TikTok Simpson was infamous not for his acting or NFL career. ITV/Shutterstock Simpson’s controversial book.
Immediately following his death, “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin reminisced, “I remember feeling a great sense of injustice happened; it’s one of the reasons I became a prosecutor. For me the tragedy was the injustice,” she said, later clarifying that the “injustice” was that he was not found guilty.
“The View” co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin added about Simpson’s death, “I hope it gives some peace to the family of the victims … I agree it was a miscarriage of justice.”
Despite avoiding jail for murder, a separate civil trial jury found him liable in 1997 for the deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million to Brown and Goldman’s families.
Simpson on trial. AP Simpson’s famous Bronco chase. AP Simpson’s infamous trial of the century. REUTERS
That same year, he was arrested on Sept. 16 in connection to an armed robbery at a Las Vegas hotel and casino aimed at “stealing back” his own memorabilia. He was found guilty and sentenced to up to 33 years behind bars Oct. 3, 2008 — exactly 13 years to the day he had been acquitted of murder.
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