NFL star-turned-criminal O.J. Simpson became a free man in 2017, having been granted parole in July and released in October after serving nine years in prison for his role in a 2007 armed robbery. And in December 2021, his attorney Malcolm LaVergne told the Associated Press that “Mr. Simpson is a completely free man now” after his parole ended on December 6, following a November 31 hearing in front of the Nevada Board of Parole. Nevada State’s PIO, Kim Yoko Smith, confirmed the news to In Touch.
Still, O.J. remains a cultural pariah, since some people are convinced he committed the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. (He was acquitted in the criminal trial but found liable in a subsequent civil trial.) Understandably, the former running back is keeping a (mostly) low profile these days.
In June 2021, it was revealed that Simpson, now 74, will keep fighting recent court orders in Nevada that he owes at least $60 million in judgments stemming from the slayings.
LaVergne previously said he intends to ask the Nevada Supreme Court to overturn one judge’s order to pay the slain man’s father, Fred Goldman, and another judge’s order in favor of Paul Dorsey, a Connecticut man holding rights to collect the wrongful death claim of Ron Goldman’s mother, Sharon Rufo.
“I will be appealing both of those,” LaVergne said, “and there will be more motions at the trial level.”
Before O.J.’s release, LaVergne detailed his post-prison plans. “He wants to go to Florida, he wants to see his family and hug his family on the outside of prison,” LaVergne told ABC News. “He wants to eat seafood; he wants to eat steak. He wants to enjoy the very simple pleasures that he hasn’t enjoyed in nine years. I spoke to him. He’s going to get the latest iPhone … So he wants to enjoy those very simple pleasures, and he wants to do that in Florida.”
After serving time, Simpson was spotted out and about in Las Vegas, celebrating his daughter Arnelle‘s birthday. He said at the time that he had just put in his vote for the Heisman Trophy (he’s eligible to participate being a former winner himself).
And though he owes millions of dollars as the result of the civil trial — as much as $58 million, in fact, according to Reuters — he can still enjoy a comfortable retirement, Money reports. That’s because he’s earning up to $42,000 a year in Social Security, anywhere from $125,000 to $300,000 per year in NFL pension, and an additional pension from the Screen Actors Guild — and creditors can’t touch pensions or Social Security benefits.
Of course, Simpson’s low-key lifestyle could change if he signs on to do a reality show — which some industry insiders expect. After all, American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson was a huge hit for FX, so TV viewers may want to check in with the real “Juice.” But a reality show would be a risk for both producers and networks. “The danger of trainwreck shows is that you’ve got to watch out for the train because it will run you over,” one reality producer told The Hollywood Reporter.
As of 2021, Simpson lives in a gated golf course community in Las Vegas.