OJ SIMPSON'S TRIAL: WHERE ARE THE KEY PEOPLE NOW?
In one of the most talked about trials of the 20th century, Late NFL player O.J. Simpson first appeared in court after he was charged with the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman. The trial was broadcast on television and was heavily publicized by the media which ended up dubbing it as "the trial of the century." The court proceedings continued from November 1994 to October 1995 with the murder taking place on June 12, 1994, per USA Today.
According to the outlet, a documentary on Brown Simpson is in the works at Lifetime. A spokesperson for the network confirmed to the outlet that the documentary will be titled The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson.
The project doesn't have a release date yet but the spokesperson reveals that the documentary "promises to give Brown Simpson her narrative back."
In the wake of Simpson's death from cancer on April 10, 2024, and the buzz surrounding a documentary on his ex-wife, here is a look back at the key figures involved in the murder trial and where they are now, as per PEOPLE.
1. Marcia Clark
Marcia Clark was the lead prosecutor on the trial of Simpson who ended up losing the high-profile case to her opposition team. After the conclusion of the trial, Clark resigned from the L.A. county district attorney's office and ventured into the entertainment and media industry. Clark co-authored a book in 1997 called Without A Doubt that included her point of view of the Simpson trial and she went on to appear as a commentator in various news networks. The former lawyer penned down various fictionalized accounts of the D.A.'s office, wrote a series of novels and a TV show that was picked up by FX. In the 2016 TV adaptation of the trial titled The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, Clark's character was portrayed by Sarah Paulson who won an Emmy and Golden Globe for her performance.
2. Lance A. Ito
Lance Ito was the judge presiding over the trial and retired from his duties on the Los Angeles County Superior Court bench in 2015. Ito's decision to allow cameras inside the courtroom played a major role in the trial's widespread media coverage. Ito did not give many media interviews and has refrained from making comments on the case.
3. Johnnie Cochran
Lawyer Cochran became known for defending Simpson and also for the line "if it doesn't fit, you must acquit" that he delivered during the trial when Simpson was asked to try on a pair of bloody leather gloves. Before representing Simpson with his team, he had previous experiences as an attorney representing wealthy clients and celebrities. Some of his celebrity clients included names like pop icon Michael Jackson and rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs. Cochran retired in 2002. He passed away in 2005 at the age of 67 from a brain tumor.
4. Robert Shapiro
Shapiro was also a defense attorney on Simpson's high-profile team of lawyers and had experience representing celebrity clients including Eva Longoria, Johnny Carson, Jose Canseco, and Darryl Strawberry. Apart from his career as an attorney, Shapiro was also a successful entrepreneur who founded platforms such as LegalZoom.com and RightCounsel.com. In memory of his son who died in 2005 due to a drug overdose, Shapiro started the Brent Shapiro Foundation to help people who struggle with substance abuse and other addictions. In The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, his character was portrayed by JohnTravolta.
5. Kato Kaelin
Kato Kaelin is an actor who was Simpson's house guest on the night when Brown Simpson and Goldman were murdered. He appeared on the stand for four days during the trial. After the conclusion of the case, he continued to make appearances on reality shows, sitcoms, and radio shows. In 2019, he starred in the 2nd season of Celebrity Big Brother and he was placed in the 8th position. "My opinion was I think he's guilty. I have that opinion, and I still believe that today," he said per Fox News, referring to Simpson's demise. "On his deathbed, I don't know if he said a penance or not — but I believe he is guilty — and if he made peace with God or not."
6. Denise Brown
Brown Simpson's sister Denise Brown appeared on the stand to testify against Simpson and alleged that the former NFL player had been abusing her sister mentally and physically. Currently, Denise along with her other sister Tanya operates the Nicole Brown Foundation to bring awareness and help victims of domestic violence. According to The Washington Post, she has remained the family’s most outspoken critic even though she refuses to speak Simpson's name like the Goldman family. The former model has become a victims’ rights advocate and a speaker, urging both women and men to leave abusive relationships. She said she has moved past her anger with God for the killings but has never forgiven Simpson.
7. Christopher Darden
Darden was co-prosecutor alongside Clark and resigned from the D.A.'s office after the Simpson trial was wrapped up. He took up a job as a teacher at the Southwestern University School of Law and appeared as a legal commentator on a bunch of media networks like CNN, NBC, and Fox News. Darden was one of the few people who participated in the trial to extensively speak and write about the Simpson case. He continued to maintain his belief that the former athlete was guilty of murder. In the dramatization of the trial, Sterling K. Brown bagged his Emmy playing Darden's character. Darden returned to run for the L.A. County Superior Court judge's position as of 2024.
8. Faye Resnick
Resnick was a close friend of Brown Simpson who became a popular name during the trial. She wrote a book titled Nicole Brown Simpson: The Private Diary of a Life Interrupted in 1994 that gave readers a glimpse into her deceased friend's life. Resnick also went on to publish a tell-all book in 1996 that summed up her own experiences during the trial. She also posed for Playboy Magazine in 1997, and made some guest appearances on the hit reality show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and was also spotted in Keeping Up With The Kardashians.