Skip to main content

O.J. Simpson’s life and legacy are forever complicated by the last three decades. However, while the ugly side to Simpson will never be diminished, one particular tragedy shook the former NFL player and his family for the rest of his life. At the height of Simpson’s popularity, Simpson lost his third child, Aaren, when she was just two years old. He never recovered, either. 

O.J. Simpson sitting on a couch, talking, in black and white
O.J. Simpson | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

A complicated life 

Simpson’s life is a tale of many twists and turns. He’s one of the greatest running backs ever to do it for those who grew up in the ’60s and ’70s watching college and professional football. Those who know him from his work on-screen might know him best from his career as a television spokesperson or movie star. For anyone who became aware of him after 1994, however, he’s the face of one of the biggest murder trials in history and ensuing legal woes. 

It’s hard to have more of a roller coaster life than Simpson had. He’s experienced higher highs than most of us could dream of. It made him a lot of money, too. However, it’s impossible to look back at every football highlight, film role, commercial, and anecdote without going to his darkest moment – the murder of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. 

Although Simpson was acquitted in a controversial court opinion, he’s never shaken his reputation as an alleged murderer. When he found himself in legal trouble years later at a hotel, many saw it as justice for the murder trial that found him innocent. Between the triumphs and tragedies, Simpson has a family around him. Nicole was his second wife. Simpson’s first wife, Marguerite Whitley, was a classic case of young love. The pair had three children together until Simpson left Marguerite, according to Britannica.

How many kids does O.J. have?

Simpson’s oldest child, Arnelle, was born in 1968, just as her father was breaking into the limelight. His second son, Jason, was born two years later. Aaren Simpson, the child who tragically died just two years later, was born in 1977, just as Simpson’s marriage to Marguerite fell apart at the seams. 

After meeting Nicole, Simpson and his second wife were together for many years until their first daughter, Sydney, was born. Three years later, her brother, Justin, was born. They were both young children when their mother was killed. Still, all of Simpson’s children maintain his innocence and are reportedly a part of his life now that he is free again. However, the death of Aaren remains heavy on all their hearts.

The death of Aaren Simpson

Related

O.J. Simpson’s Eldest Daughter Arnelle Has Struggled to Hold a Job Since His 2nd Arrest

According to Bustle, Aaren Simpson was not yet two years old when she wandered around outside and fell into a swimming pool. While they got her out before she died, the toddler was in a coma for several days. While Simpson or his wife weren’t charged with any misdoings, the child’s loss bore a heavy weight on what was already a rocky relationship. They’d divorced earlier that year. 

Simpson remained a beloved figure for many years, appearing in movies, television, and football broadcasts up until the infamous murder that shapes his legacy to this day. However, while many parts of OJ’s upbringing, from his troubled childhood to the ups and downs of fame in general, might explain what happened later on, Aaren’s death remains the understated tragedy of his life.

Simpson remains an intriguing newsmaker at 73 years of age. Still, with so much bad reputation, it’s easy to ignore the tragedies his family has endured away from Nicole’s murder and the ensuing backlash. Had Aaren not passed away years earlier, one can’t help but wonder what may have gone different over the rest of Simpson’s life.