Nicole Brown Simpson

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

Nicole Brown Simpson
Brown in 1993
Born
Nicole Brown

(1959-05-19)May 19, 1959
Frankfurt, West Germany
DiedJune 12, 1994(1994-06-12) (aged 35)
Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of deathMurder by stabbing and slashing[1]
Resting placeAscension Cemetery, Lake Forest, California, US
33.6512°N 117.6935°W / 33.6512; -117.6935
Nationality
  • German
  • American
Spouse(s)
O. J. Simpson
(m. 1985; div. 1992)
Children2

She was murdered at her home in Los Angeles, California, on June 12, 1994, along with her friend, restaurant waiter Ron Goldman, two years after her divorce from Simpson. Simpson, who had a legal history of physically abusing, stalking and making death threats toward Brown, was arrested and charged with both murders. After a controversial and highly publicized criminal trial, Simpson was acquitted of all charges, but 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, c. 1931) and Louis Hezekiel "Lou" Brown (1923–2014).[4][5] Her mother was German and her father was American.[3][6] After moving to the US she attended Rancho Alamitos High School in Garden Grove, California, and later Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, California, where she graduated in 1977.[7]

Relationship with O. J. Simpson

Brown met Simpson in 1977[8] when she was eighteen years old and working as a waitress at a Beverly Hills private club called The Daisy.[9][10][11][12] Although Simpson was still married to his first wife, Marguerite, the two began dating. Simpson and Marguerite divorced in March 1979.[13] Simpson and Brown were married on February 2, 1985,[14] five years after his retirement from professional football.[13][15][16] The marriage lasted seven years, during which time they had two children, Sydney (b. 1985) and Justin (b. 1988).[17] Simpson was investigated multiple times by the police for domestic violence and pleaded no contest to spousal abuse in 1989.[18][19] Brown filed for divorce on February 25, 1992, citing irreconcilable differences.[20] Following the divorce, Simpson and Brown got back together.[21] 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 "He [Simpson] is going to beat the shit out of me."[22] After this incident, the relationship would end for a second and final time.[22]

Death
Main article: O. J. Simpson murder case

Brown lived at 875 South Bundy Drive in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, with her two children.[23][24][25] On the evening of Sunday, June 12, 1994, Brown, aged 35, was stabbed to death outside her home along with her friend, 25-year-old restaurant waiter Ron Goldman. Her body was found shortly after midnight on June 13. She was lying in the fetal position in a pool of blood.[26] An autopsy determined that Brown had been stabbed seven times in the neck and scalp, and had a 5.5-inch-long (140 mm) gash across her throat, which had severed both her left and right carotid arteries and breached her right and left jugular veins.[26] The wound on Brown's neck was so severe it had penetrated a depth of 0.75 inches (19 mm) into her cervical vertebrae,[26] nearly decapitating her.[22][27] She also had defensive wounds on her hands.[26]

Brown's funeral was held on June 16 at the St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Brentwood,[28] with mourners including Simpson and their children,[29] members of Brown's family, Al Cowlings, house guest Kato Kaelin, Steve Garvey, [30]. Brown is buried in Ascension Cemetery[31] in Lake Forest, California.[32][33]

Aftermath

Simpson was tried for the murders of both Brown and Goldman. In October 1995, after a public trial that lasted nearly nine months, he was acquitted.[34] In a 1997 civil trial, a jury found him liable for the wrongful deaths of Brown and Goldman and awarded $19.5 million in damages to their families. Simpson would later be jailed for an unrelated armed robbery at a Las Vegas hotel in 2008.[35][36]

In 1996, after the conclusion of the trial, a judge granted Simpson's petition to give him full custody of Sydney and Justin.[37] Brown's parents continued unsuccessfully to fight for custody.[38][39][40]

Following the deaths of Brown and Goldman, the townhouse at the site of their killing, 875 South Bundy Drive,[23][24][25] sat empty for two years, until the next owner extensively remodeled it and had the address changed.[41]

Foundation

A foundation, Nicole Simpson Foundation, was established in 1994 in her memory.[42] 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.[43][44]

Portrayals

Brown was portrayed by Jessica Tuck in the television movie The O. J. Simpson Story. She was portrayed by Sandra Olson in Reenactment of the Century. She will be portrayed by Charlotte Kirk in Joshua Newton's upcoming film Nicole and O.J. and by Mena Suvari in The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson.

See also

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 2018-08-04 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. Bugliosi 1997, p. 175; Weller 1995, pp. 6, 123.
  9. Weller 1995, p. 123.
  10. "The Victims". O.J. Simpson Trial News. CNN. February 3, 1985. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  11. 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.
  12. Alison Martino (August 29, 2014). "The Daisy in Beverly Hills". Vintage Los Angeles.
  13. Taylor Gibbs 1996, pp. 126–128.
  14. Weller 1995, p. 184.
  15. Lange, Vannatter & Moldea 1997, p. 115.
  16. 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.
  17. "Child Custody Decision". Courtroom Television Network. Archived from the original on January 10, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  18. Hunt 1999, p. 61.
  19. "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.
  20. Taylor Gibbs 1996, p. 136.
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. Simpson & Fenjves 2006.
  24. Margolick, David (July 25, 1995). "Simpson Expert Supports Conspiracy-Theory Defense". The New York Times. p. 9. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  25. Siegel, Jessica (June 13, 1995). "Gawkers Flock to Crime Scene on Bundy Avenue 1 Year Later". Chicago Tribune.
  26. Bugliosi 1997, p. 19.
  27. Guerrasio, Jason (June 16, 2016). "O.J. Simpson Never-Before-Seen Crime-Scene Photos". Business Insider. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  28. Shapiro 2009.
  29. Weller, Sheila (1995). Raging Heart: The Intimate Story of the Tragic Marriage of O.J. and Nicole Brown Simpson. Cited in Dear 2012.
  30. Cerasini 1994, p. 257.
  31. Weller 1995, p. 36.
  32. Hernandez, Greg (October 4, 1995). Los Angeles Times. Missing or empty |title= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  33. Hardesty, Greg. Orange County Register. Santa Ana, California: Freedom Communications http://www.ocregister.com/2008/09/29/nicole-brown-simpsons-little-sister-grows-up. Retrieved September 22, 2017. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. Aamir, Sumayah (July 7, 2014). "Nicole Brown Simpson's Father Dies 20 Years After Her Murder". i4u News. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  35. Auther, Jennifer; Feldman, Charles; LaMotte, Greg (February 4, 1997). "Jury Unanimous: Simpson Is Liable". CNN. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
  36. "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.
  37. Goldberg, Carey (December 26, 1996). "Simpson Wins Custody Fight for 2 Children by Slain Wife". The New York Times. Retrieved March 10, 2009.
  38. Okeke-Ibezim 1997, pp. 110ff.
  39. 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.
  40. "OJ Faces Further Battle over Child Custody". BBC News. November 11, 1998. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  41. 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.
  42. 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.
  43. Reza, H. G. (January 4, 1999). "The Brown Foundation Cuts Back on Giving". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  44. "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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Cerasini, Marc (1994). O.J. Simpson: American Hero, American Tragedy. New York: Windsor Publishing Corporation. ISBN 978-0-7860-0118-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Okeke-Ibezim, Felicia (1997). O.J. Simpson: The Trial of the Century. New York: Ekwike Publications. ISBN 978-0-9661598-0-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Simpson, O. J.; Fenjves, Pablo (2006). If I Did It (cancelled ed.). ReganBooks.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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