O.J. Simpson‘s longtime lawyer and executor of his estate, Malcolm LaVergne, confirmed to PEOPLE that Simpson will be cremated, and plans for his funeral service are still being finalized.
LaVergne also addressed inquiries about donating Simpson’s brain for scientific research, particularly to study chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition associated with repeated head trauma and found in many deceased football players. “With O.J. everything’s wild, but I’ve been getting calls from medical centers that are doing CTE testing asking me for O.J.’s brain. That is not happening,” LaVergne told the New York Post. He mentioned that the decision was a definitive “no” from Simpson’s family.
Regarding the estate, LaVergne previously made strong statements about ensuring that the Goldman family, who won a wrongful death lawsuit against Simpson in 1997, would not receive any money from Simpson’s estate. However, he later tempered those remarks in an interview with PEOPLE, saying, “I’m kind of backtracking from those remarks. They were pretty harsh.”
David Cook, an attorney for the Goldman family, noted that Simpson had not paid the $33.5 million awarded in the lawsuit, which has accrued interest over the years. “He died without penance,” Cook stated. “He did not want to give a dime, a nickel to Fred [Goldman], never, anything, never.”
Simpson’s death was publicly announced by his family in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. “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,” the statement read.
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