O.J. Simpson was a father of five before his death at the age of 76.
The former NFL player shared three children, Arnelle, Jason and Aaren, with his first wife, Marguerite Whitley, and welcomed two kids, Sydney and Justin, with his second wife Nicole Brown Simpson. Aaren died a month before her 2nd birthday after drowning in the family swimming pool.
Simpson's family was thrust into the spotlight after the murder of Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman in June 1994. Simpson was detained days later and an 11-month trial commenced that was dubbed "The Trial of the Century" by many legal experts. On Oct. 3, 1995, 100 million people in the U.S. alone watched as Simpson was acquitted on both counts of murder.
On April 10, 2024, Simpson died at 76 years old from metastatic prostate cancer. His family announced the news on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account in a statement.
"On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace," they wrote.
Today, the children Simpson shared with Nicole, Sydney and Justin, prefer to remain out of the spotlight, according to what aunt Dominique Brown.
“At this point, I think they would prefer to just stay low-key and raise their families," she told PEOPLE in May 2024.
Here’s everything to know about O.J. Simpson’s five children: Sydney, Justin, Arnelle, Jason and Aaren.
Arnelle Simpson, 55
Simpson’s eldest daughter was born on Dec. 4, 1968, when the football player was 21 years old. Arnelle testified at his 1994 trial where he was accused of murdering his second wife, Nicole. She claimed that her father was "emotional," "distraught" and "out of control" when he learned of her death, per CNN.
Arnelle remained a vocal supporter of her father, speaking out again during his 2017 parole hearing following his jail sentence for a 2007 armed robbery at a Las Vegas hotel. At the time, she asked that her dad be released so her family could “move forward.”
"As a family, we recognize he's not the perfect man, but as a man and a father he has done his best to behave in a way that speaks to his overall nature and character,” she said, after describing him as her “best friend,” per CBS.
Jason Simpson, 53
Simpson and Whitley’s second child, Jason, was born in 1970. Jason was by his dad’s side during important moments of his career, including when he was inducted into the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame in Rich Stadium in 1980.
He also attended the premiere of Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult alongside his father, Nicole and two younger siblings three months before Nicole’s murder.
After the infamous police chase where the authorities were tailing a white Ford Bronco containing Simpson and his friend and former teammate Al Cowlings, Jason met his father at his Brentwood home and tried to speak to him. Jason was handcuffed by the police at the time and led back into the house.
Per the Los Angeles Times, as of 2016, Jason was living a private life as a chef at an Atlanta restaurant, St. Cecilia.
Aaren Simpson
Simpson and Whitley welcomed their third chid, daughter Aaren, in 1977. Just one month shy of her 2nd birthday, Aaren tragically drowned in a pool. Simpson rarely discussed the incident in public.
Sydney Brooke Simpson, 38
Sydney, O.J. and Nicole’s first child together, was born on Oct. 17, 1985. She was only 8 years old when her mom died, and was helped raised by her aunt and Nicole’s sister, Tanya Brown, after Nicole’s death.
Sydney and Justin moved to Florida in 2000, six years after their mom’s death, and have lived in relative anonymity since. Sydney graduated from Boston University in 2010 with a degree in sociology and spent time in Atlanta before she moved to St. Petersburg, Florida.
As of April 2016, Sydney works in real estate as an owner of multiple properties in Florida that she oversees, per the Tampa Bay Times.
That same year, in February 2016, Sydney and her brother Justin attended the wedding of their cousin, Sean Brown, who is Nicole’s sister Denise Brown's son, in Newport Coast, California. They were photographed at the ceremony as he wed Laguna Beach‘s Casey Reinhardt.
Justin Ryan Simpson, 36
O.J.’s youngest child, Justin, was born on Aug. 6, 1988. He was 5 years old when his mom was murdered outside the house as he slept.
Days after Simpson died in April 2024, David Brobeck, Justin's godfather, told PEOPLE that he and Sydney have found a "good life" in the years after their mother was murdered. Sydney and Justin frequently spent time with Brobeck and his family during the trial, and he said that they "received tremendous love and attention and support" from the community at the time.
“They've grown up, and they have their own families now, and they're doing really well,” he said. “They're solid solid people and parents, and we just wish them all the best and give them lots of love.”
Like his sister, Justin works in real estate and, as of 2016, was employed by Coldwell Banker. He is an agent based in St. Petersburg, telling the Tampa Bay Times, "It's a great place to live, why not St. Pete? It’s gorgeous here.”
In February 2022, Justin announced on his Instagram that he was expecting a child with his partner, a baby girl they named Lana.
“We are extremely excited, scared, nervous and in love ❤️ ❤️ ❤️,” he captioned the post. “In only a few short months we will be welcoming little Lana and can’t wait for you to meet her!”