Netizens Slam Documentary Claiming OJ Simpson Killed Nicole Brown Simpson, Ron Goldman: 'He Was Found Innocent'
A tweet accusing OJ Simpson of killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman raised several eyebrows.
TMZ revisited Simpson's double murder case for its new documentary series "TMZ Presents: O.J. Simpson -- How He Really Did It" 30 years after the incident. Simpson and Goldman were stabbed to death outside her home in Los Angeles on the night of June 12, 1994.
"It's been 30 years since O.J. Simpson killed Nicole and Ron. Now, TMZ's Harvey Levin -- who covered the murder trial from start to finish -- is ready to tell stories you have NEVER heard," the tweet read.
However, the post received intense backlash from social media users because it seemingly suggested that the late footballer killed Nicole and Ron even though he was acquitted of the double murder charges against him. Several online users rallied to support Simpson, who passed away in April.
"OJ Simpson did NOT kill anyone. He was 100% innocent, and he had one of the most fairest trials in American history. He was found innocent by a court of law. And the 'Im-white-and-I-say-so' tactic won't change history," one commented.
"An American jury found OJ Simpson not guilty. Why are white folk still calling him a killer?" a second user asked.
Another person opined, "Wait. He was found not guilty."
"HE WAS FOUND INNOCENT! I hope his family sue tf out of y'all," a fourth commenter said.
"OJ was innocent. No one cares about this mud sling attempt," someone else commented.
Another user claimed that one has "to be alive" to file a defamation lawsuit, so the outlet is allegedly "banking on that rule that the dead don't have a claim for defamation." However, another argued that if Simplson were alive, it would not be easy for him to win the defamation case.
"Even if he was alive, to win a defamation case you have to show actual damage to your reputation. OJ was found civilly responsible for their deaths and is a pariah. Hence, referring to him as having killed them is no problem," the online user wrote.
On Oct. 3, 1995, Simpson was acquitted of all criminal charges. During the trial, he was asked to put on gloves believed to have been worn by the killer, but they didn't fit.
"If it doesn't fit, you must acquit," defense attorney Johnnie Cochran famously told the jury at the time, per ABC News.
However, the victims' families sued him for wrongful death, and a civil trial began in October 1996. Less than four months later, in 1997, a civil jury found Simpson liable for wrongful death in the double murder, and he was ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages to Nicole and Ron's families.