Nicole Brown Simpson

Nicole Brown Simpson (née Brown; May 19, 1959 – June 12, 1994) was the ex-wife of the former professional American football player, O. J. Simpson, to whom she was married from 1985 to 1992. She was the mother of their two children, Sydney and Justin.

Nicole Brown Simpson
Brown Simpson in 1993
Born
Nicole Brown

(1959-05-19)May 19, 1959
Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany
DiedJune 12, 1994(1994-06-12) (aged 35)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of deathHomicide by stabbing and slashing[1]
Resting placeAscension Cemetery, Lake Forest, California, US
33.6512°N 117.6935°W / 33.6512; -117.6935
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1985; div. 1992)​
Children2

Two years after her divorce from Simpson, Brown was stabbed to death at her Los Angeles home, on June 12, 1994, along with her friend, waiter Ron Goldman. O. J. Simpson, who had a history of physically abusing and making death threats toward Brown, was arrested and accused of both killings. Following a controversial and highly publicized criminal trial, which included evidence linking Simpson to the murders, Simpson was acquitted of all charges. He was later found liable for both deaths in a civil lawsuit in 1997.

Early life

Brown was born on May 19, 1959, in Frankfurt, West Germany,[2][3] to Juditha Anne "Judy" Brown (née Baur, 1931–2020) and Louis Hezekiel "Lou" Brown, Jr. (1923–2014).[4][5] Her mother was German, and her father was American.[3][6] After moving to the United States, she attended Rancho Alamitos High School in Garden Grove, California.[7] She graduated Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, California in 1976.[8] She was raised and died a Roman Catholic. [9]

Relationship with O. J. Simpson

Brown met the American football player O. J. Simpson in 1977,[10] at the age of 18, when she was working as a waitress at a Beverly Hills private club, the Daisy.[11][12][13][14] They began dating while Simpson was married to his first wife, Marguerite, who was pregnant with their daughter Aaren at the time. Simpson and Marguerite divorced in March 1979.[15] Simpson and Brown married on February 2, 1985,[16] five years after Simpson retired from professional football.[15][17][18] Their marriage lasted seven years, during which time they had two children, Sydney and Justin.[19]

During their marriage, Simpson physically abused Brown. According to a police report of an incident that occurred on New Year's Day in 1989, Simpson shouted: "I don't want that woman (Brown) sleeping in my bed anymore! I got two women, and I don't want that woman in my bed anymore."[3] Brown called the police multiple times to report Simpson's abuse; he was arrested once, in 1989, after which he pleaded no contest to spousal abuse.[20][21] However, Brown dropped the charges after her parents allegedly encouraged her to reconcile with Simpson, as Simpson provided her father with the opportunity to invest in a lucrative Hertz dealership, which was financially beneficial for the Brown family.[22]

Brown filed for divorce on February 25, 1992, citing irreconcilable differences.[23] At the time of their separation, Simpson informed Brown of a one-year ongoing extramarital affair he had with Tawny Kitaen, during which he gave her expensive jewelry; it ended when Kitaen married David Coverdale in 1989.[24][25][26][27] Following the divorce, Simpson and Brown had a volatile relationship, but eventually reconciled.[28] Audio released during the murder trial of O.J. Simpson revealed that Brown called 9-1-1 on October 25, 1993, crying and saying that Simpson was "going to beat the shit out of me".[29] When the police arrived, Brown was secretly recorded by Sgt. Craig Lally. "He gets a very animalistic look in him," Brown stated. "All his veins pop out, his eyes are black and just black, I mean cold, like an animal. I mean very, very weird. And when I see it, it just scares me." Brown also stated Simpson had not hit her in four years.[30] Several months after this incident, Brown moved out of their shared home and the relationship ended.[29]

Death
Main article: O. J. Simpson murder case

At the time of her death, Brown resided at 875 South Bundy Drive in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, with her two children.[31][32][33] On the evening of Sunday, June 12, 1994, Brown, aged 35, was stabbed to death outside her home, along with 25-year-old restaurant waiter Ron Goldman, Her body was discovered shortly after midnight on June 13. She was lying in the fetal position in a pool of blood.[34]

An autopsy determined that Brown had been stabbed seven times in the neck and scalp, and had sustained a 14 cm-long (5.5 inches) gash across her throat, which had severed both her left and right carotid arteries and breached her right and left jugular veins.[34] The wound on Brown's neck penetrated 1.9 cm (0.75 inches) into her cervical vertebrae,[34] nearly decapitating her.[29][35] She also had defensive wounds on her hands.[34]

Brown's funeral was held on June 16 at the St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Brentwood,[36] California, with mourners including Simpson and their two children,[37] members of Brown's family, Al Cowlings, house guest Kato Kaelin, and Steve Garvey.[38] Brown is buried in Ascension Cemetery[39] in Lake Forest, California.[40]

Aftermath
Main article: O. J. Simpson murder case

O.J. Simpson was tried for the murders of both Brown and Goldman. In October 1995, after a public trial that lasted nearly nine months and presented both circumstantial and physical evidence that Simpson had killed both victims, he was controversially acquitted. In a 1997 civil trial filed by Fred Goldman, Ron Goldman's father, a jury found him liable for the wrongful deaths of Brown and Goldman and awarded $33.5 million in damages to the Goldmans. Simpson would later be jailed for an unrelated armed robbery at a Las Vegas hotel in 2008.[41][42]

In 1996, after the conclusion of the trial, a judge granted Simpson's petition to give him full custody of Sydney and Justin.[43] Brown's parents continued unsuccessfully to fight for custody.[44][45][46] Following the deaths of Brown and Goldman, the townhouse at the site of their killing, 875 South Bundy Drive,[31][32][33] sat empty for two years, until the next owner extensively remodeled it and had the address changed.[47] Filmmaker Ezra Edelman, who directed the documentary O.J.: Made in America, dedicated his Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature to both Brown and Goldman in his acceptance speech.

The Nicole Brown Simpson Foundation was established in 1994 in her memory.[48] Later renamed the Nicole Brown Charitable Foundation, it reportedly cut back on grantmaking in 1999, due to a drop in donations and questionable management practices.[49][50]

Portrayals

Jessica Tuck portrayed Brown in the 1995 television movie The O. J. Simpson Story. Brown was portrayed by Sandra Olson in Reenactment of the Century. In 2013, it was announced Charlotte Kirk would portray Brown in Nicole & O.J.. Mena Suvari portrayed Brown in the 2019 film The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson.

See also
  • O. J. Simpson robbery case

References

Citations
  1. Turvey, Brent E. (February 1995). "An Overview of the Medicolegal Evidence Regarding: The State of California v. Orenthal James Simpson, Case: BA097211" Archived August 4, 2018, at the Wayback Machine. Knowledge Solutions.
  2. Schmalleger 1996, p. 2.
  3. Hubler, Shawn; Trounson, Rebecca (July 3, 1994). "Dreams of Better Days Died That Night". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  4. Schindehette, Susan (August 1994). "To Live and Die in L.A." People. Vol. 42, no. 5. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  5. Gates, Anita (July 6, 2014). "Louis Brown Jr., Nicole Simpson's Father, Dies at 90". The New York Times. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  6. Weller 1995, pp. 76–77.
  7. Weller 1995, pp. 84, 122.
  8. "Classmates - Dana Hills High School Yearbook 1976". secure.classmates.com. Retrieved October 7, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. "Nicole Brown Simpson stats". https://archive.seattletimes.com. Retrieved August 25, 2022. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. Bugliosi 1997, p. 175; Weller 1995, pp. 6, 123.
  11. Weller 1995, p. 123.
  12. "The Victims". O.J. Simpson Trial News. CNN. February 3, 1985. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  13. Hubler, Shawn; Trounson, Rebecca (July 6, 1994). "Nicole Simpson Was Dominated by Her Husband Since She Was a Teenager". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  14. Alison Martino (August 29, 2014). "The Daisy in Beverly Hills". Vintage Los Angeles.
  15. Taylor Gibbs 1996, pp. 126–128.
  16. Weller 1995, p. 184.
  17. Lange, Vannatter & Moldea 1997, p. 115.
  18. Rimer, Sara (June 23, 1994). "The Simpson Case: The Victim; Nicole Brown Simpson: Slain At the Dawn of a Better Life". The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  19. "Child Custody Decision". Courtroom Television Network. Archived from the original on January 10, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  20. Hunt 1999, p. 61.
  21. "Judge Allows Evidence of Domestic Violence in O. J. Simpson Murder Case". Jet. Vol. 87, no. 13. Chicago: Johnson Publishing Company. February 6, 1995. p. 51. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  22. "Did Nicole Brown Simpson's Parents Push Her To Stay With O.J. Simpson? 'American Crime Story' Tackles The Rumors". Romper. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  23. Taylor Gibbs 1996, p. 136.
  24. Surprise letter: Nicole wrote O.J. Simpson 'beat holy hell' out of her by Linda Deutsch (January 13, 1997) from Associated Press website
  25. 'National Enquirer Investigates' Reveals O.J. Simpson's Many Mistresses by Radar staff (May 24, 2018) from Radar website
  26. Actress, music video star Tawny Kitaen dead at 59 by Joe Erwin (May 8, 2021) from Daily News website
  27. Tawny Kitaen Dead: Cause of Death Not Clear for ’80s Music Video Icon by Jessica McBride (May 8, 2021) from Heavy.com website
  28. Weller, Sheila (June 12, 2014). "How O.J. and Nicole Brown's Friends Coped with Murder in Their Midst". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  29. Anolik, Lili (June 2014). "It All Began with O. J.". Vanity Fair. Vol. 56, no. 6. New York: Condé Nast. pp. 108ff. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  30. "Trial Journal". sfgate.com. March 30, 1995.
  31. Simpson & Fenjves 2006.
  32. Margolick, David (July 25, 1995). "Simpson Expert Supports Conspiracy-Theory Defense". The New York Times. p. 9. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  33. Siegel, Jessica (June 13, 1995). "Gawkers Flock to Crime Scene on Bundy Avenue 1 Year Later". Chicago Tribune.
  34. Bugliosi 1997, p. 19.
  35. Guerrasio, Jason (June 16, 2016). "O.J. Simpson Never-Before-Seen Crime-Scene Photos". Business Insider. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  36. Shapiro 2009.
  37. Weller1995, cited in Dear 2012.
  38. Cerasini 1994, p. 257.
  39. Weller 1995, p. 36.
  40. Hardesty, Greg. "Nicole Brown Simpson's little sister grows up". Orange County Register. Santa Ana, California: Freedom Communications. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  41. Auther, Jennifer; Feldman, Charles; LaMotte, Greg (February 4, 1997). "Jury Unanimous: Simpson Is Liable". CNN. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
  42. "Court: Simpson Still Liable for $33.5M Judgment". NBC5. The Associated Press. February 21, 2008. Archived from the original on October 9, 2008. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
  43. Goldberg, Carey (December 26, 1996). "Simpson Wins Custody Fight for 2 Children by Slain Wife". The New York Times. Retrieved March 10, 2009.
  44. Okeke-Ibezim 1997, pp. 110ff.
  45. Morello, Carol (December 21, 1996). "Judge Awards O.J. Simpson Custody of His Children". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. A1. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  46. "OJ Faces Further Battle over Child Custody". BBC News. November 11, 1998. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  47. Walker, Theresa (June 17, 2014). "Lingering Questions from the O.J. Simpson Chase". Orange County Register. Santa Ana, California: Freedom Communications. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  48. Reyes, David (July 19, 1995). "The O.J. Simpson Murder Trial: Nicole Simpson Foundation Gives Shelter $10,000". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  49. Reza, H. G. (January 4, 1999). "The Brown Foundation Cuts Back on Giving". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  50. "Nicole Brown Simpson Charit Foundation – GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved July 21, 2017.

Sources
  • Bugliosi, Vincent (1997) [1996]. Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O. J. Simpson Got Away with Murder. New York: Dell Publishing. ISBN 978-0-440-22382-5.
  • Cerasini, Marc (1994). O.J. Simpson: American Hero, American Tragedy. New York: Windsor Publishing Corporation. ISBN 978-0-7860-0118-7.
  • Dear, William C. (2012). O. J. Is Innocent and I Can Prove It: The Shocking Truth About the Murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 978-1-63220-072-3.
  • Hunt, Darnell M. (1999). O. J. Simpson Facts and Fictions: News Rituals in the Construction of Reality. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511489204. ISBN 978-0-521-62468-8.
  • Lange, Tom; Vannatter, Philip; Moldea, Dan E. (1997). Evidence Dismissed: The Inside Story of the Police Investigation of O. J. Simpson. New York: Pocket Books.
  • Okeke-Ibezim, Felicia (1997). O.J. Simpson: The Trial of the Century. New York: Ekwike Publications. ISBN 978-0-9661598-0-6.
  • Schmalleger, Frank (1996). Trial of the Century: People of the State of California vs. Orenthal James Simpson. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-235953-5.
  • Shapiro, Robert L. (2009) [1996]. The Search for Justice: A Defense Attorney's Brief on the O.J. Simpson Case. Boston: Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-0-446-57007-7.
  • Simpson, O. J.; Fenjves, Pablo (2006). If I Did It (cancelled ed.). ReganBooks.
  • Taylor Gibbs, Jewelle (1996). Race and Justice: Rodney King and O. J. Simpson in a House Divided. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-0-7879-0264-3.
  • Weller, Sheila (1995). Raging Heart: The Intimate Story of the Tragic Marriage of O.J. and Nicole Brown Simpson. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0-671-52145-5.
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