The untold truth of Jason Simpson: What happened to O.J. Simpson's oldest son?
The late O.J. Simpson was an American retired NFL running back, actor, and broadcaster. His iconic career achievements were almost overshadowed by his controversial acquittal for the 1994 murder of his second wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman. The court case shot his family members to prominence, including his oldest son, Jason Simpson.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Profile summary
- Who are Jason Simpson's parents?
- The marital life of Jason Simpson's parents
- Was O.J. at Nicole's funeral?
- How did Whitley and Simpson's divorce affect Jason?
- Did Jason Simpson kill Nicole?
- Why did William Dear link Jason to Nicole's death?
- How old was Jason Simpson when Nicole Brown died?
- What is Jason Simpson's age today?
- Where is Jason Simpson now?
- Jason Simpson's net worth
- Who is Jason Simpson's wife?
- What happened to Jason Simpson's siblings?
- Facts about Jason Simpson
In 2012, private detective William C. Dear accused O.J. Simpson's oldest son, Jason, of being the actual murder offender in his book O.J. Is Innocent, And I Can Prove It. Read on to discover what the public knows about the celebrity's son and the family he was born into.
Profile summary
| Full name | Jason Lamar Simpson |
| Nickname | Jason |
| Gender | Male |
| Birthdate | 21 April 1970 |
| Age | 54 years old (2024) |
| Zodiac sign | Taurus |
| Birthplace | California, USA |
| Residence | Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Height | 6'1" (185 cm) |
| Weight | 95 kg (209 pounds) Approx. |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Black |
| Father | O.J. Simpson |
| Mother | Marguerite Whitley |
| Siblings | Arnelle and Aaren |
| Half-siblings | Justin Ryan and Sydney Brooke |
| Marital status | Married |
| Profession | Culinary director |
Who are Jason Simpson's parents?
His father, Orenthal James Simpson, was an American football player who played for 11 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. After retiring from the NFL, he became an actor and media personality.
Simpson was born in 1947 in San Francisco, California, to Eunice Durden, a hospital attendant, and Jimmy Lee Simpson, a custodian for a Federal Reserve Bank and a private club and a cook. He attended Galileo High School, the City College of San Francisco, and the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Jason Simpson's mum, Marguerite Whitley, was pursuing a career as an interior designer when she met her third husband, Anthony Thomas, a furniture sales representative.
Whitley was born on 20 March 1949, in Los Angeles, California, in an African-American family. She attended Galileo High School and earned a University of Southern California diploma in 1967.
Source: Original
The marital life of Jason Simpson's parents
Marguerite Whitley dated AI Cowlings in high school, and he was a good friend of O.J. Simpson. So, through Cowlings, Simpson and Whitley met, fell in love, and began dating in 1965.
The two tied the knot on 24 June 1967 while still in college. Simpson was 19, and Whitley was 18 at the time. After Simpson won the Heisman Trophy and was drafted into the NFL in 1969 under a contract of $650,000, the young couple moved to New York and settled in Brentwood estates in Amherst.
Whitley and Simpson would end up divorcing in March 1979, citing Simpson's infidelity as the cause for their separation. She received spousal alimony and child support money. Meanwhile, Simpson had started an affair with Nicole Brown, who was then a waitress, by 1977.
The ex-couple had three kids: Jason, Arnelle, and Aaren. Marguerite moved from the Brentwood home with the kids and settled in San Francisco, where she met her second spouse, Lewis Rudolph.
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Before marrying Rudolph on 9 July 1986, her daughter, Aaren, drowned in the swimming pool of her San Francisco home on 18 August 1979. She died ten days later due to drowning injuries.
Rudolph and Marguerite had their marriage annulled on 3 July 1991 due to unresolved issues. She then launched her career as an interior designer and met her third husband, Anthony Thomas, a furniture sales rep.
The two got married on 3 April 1992. Anthony and Marguerite stood by O.J. during his murder trial. He was accused of killing his second wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman.
Simpson and Nicole married in February 1985 and had two children, Justin and Sydney, before divorcing in 1992. The couple made reconciliation attempts but were unsuccessful.
Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman were found stabbed to death outside Nicole's Brentwood home on 12 June 1994, and Simpson became the prime suspect.
Before her death, Nicole had filed charges against the former sportsman for physical abuse several times. So, he faced murder charges in a trial that lasted 11 months.
Source: UGC
With support from her husband, Antony, Marguerite, and her children attended court to support O.J. In 1995, she defended Simpson, asserting that he was incapable of committing the murders.
Marguerite also refuted LAPD officer Jim King’s claim that she made a domestic violence call in the 1970s, reporting Simpson for punching, choking, and pushing her. Simpson did not deny his violent past but never used weapons.
The evidence presented against him during the trial was significant. The blood in his car and home, the infamous glove, and his peculiar behavior all painted a picture that the prosecution hoped would convict. However, the jury's verdict is history, and O.J. was acquitted of the double murders.
Was O.J. at Nicole's funeral?
On 17 June 1994, O.J. Simpson and his children attended the funeral of his slain ex-wife, Nicole Brown, defying the barrage of publicity that had depicted him as the prime suspect in her murder.
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How did Whitley and Simpson's divorce affect Jason?
Jason had a troubled life in his teens because, unlike his sister, he didn't bond well with his parent's separation. At the age of 14, Jason started taking all sorts of drugs and alcohol. Due to his addiction, he used to have uncontrolled anger and violent outbursts quite often.
Jason also tried to kill himself several times throughout his adolescent life. One time, he tried cutting his arms, while another time, he tried overdosing on a medicine prescribed to control his rage.
He was admitted to the UCLA Neuro-Psychiatric Institute for Mental Conditions to contain his mental troubles. He was later diagnosed with 'Intermittent Rage Disorder.' In the past, he was arrested for numerous charges, including driving with a suspended license and physical assault.
Did Jason Simpson kill Nicole?
Many conspiracy theories have been written about Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman's deaths, with some claiming Jason Simpson, O.J.'s son, was the killer. None of the stories have solid evidence per legal standards.
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Jason has been pegged as the killer because he had been diagnosed with mental health issues and was known to have aggressive outbursts. So, he might have had a violent confrontation with Nicole and Ron, which could have resulted in the murders. There is no clear evidence to back this accusation.
Secondly, the theory pointed at Jason as a chef, but having professional training in culinary arts doesn't make one a suspect in a knife crime. Jason also stated that he was working in a restaurant on the night of the murders, and he had an alibi to confirm this.
It's claimed that he owned a knife that matched the description of the murder weapon more closely than the infamous glove matched O.J. However, these pieces of "evidence" have never been substantiated meaningfully in a legal setting.
Why did William Dear link Jason to Nicole's death?
Private investigator William Dear's book, O.J. Is Innocent, And I Can Prove It, outlines theories explaining why he believed Jason committed the murders.
Like other members of the public, he accused Jason of murdering his stepmother and her friend, blaming his mental health issues and troubled teenagerhood as the main reasons.
Source: UGC
William sponsored his own six-year investigation to prove this pact and examine overlooked or missing witnesses and evidence. Here are some of the information he gathered:
- Two months before Nicole and her friend were killed, Jason had stopped taking his rage medicines. His rage disorder was so out of control that he physically assaulted two of his girlfriends.
- On the night of the murders, Nicole and her family were to eat at the same restaurant where Jason was working, but they changed the destination.
- Jason did not have a compelling explanation about where he was between the time of the killing, 9:45 and 10:00 pm. Furthermore, despite the electronic time clock working as it should, he had submitted a handwritten time stamp.
- Authorities found a black navy watch cap at the crime scene, similar to what Jason used to wear occasionally.
How old was Jason Simpson when Nicole Brown died?
Jason was 24 when Nicole and her friend were found dead on 12 June 1994.
Source: UGC
What is Jason Simpson's age today?
Born on 21 April 1970 in California, USA, Jason is 54 years old as of 2024.
Where is Jason Simpson now?
He is a culinary director at Citrin and its sister restaurants in California. Before that, an article published by the Los Angeles Times in 2016 reported that Jason was working as an executive chef in Atlanta.
Jason started his career at Border Grill, a Mexican eatery in LA, California. Later, he was offered the position of Chef de Cuisine at a Michelin-starred restaurant, Melisse, in Santa Monica.
He then moved to Atlanta, where he worked as the Chef de Cuisine at Ford Fry's St. Cecilia, an Italian restaurant, for three years. He also worked in Atlanta as executive chef at Golden Eagle and Muchacho restaurants.
Jason Simpson's net worth
Celebsuburb.com estimates he is worth around $400,000. He has obtained this much while working in culinary, one of the highest-paid careers in the US.
Meanwhile, his father, O.J. Simpson, had an estimated net worth of $3 million at the time of his death, most of it coming from pensions from the NFL and SAG. Simpson had a fully-funded NFL pension allegedly worth $5 million.
Source: Getty Images
Who is Jason Simpson's wife?
Jason keeps his wife's identity private. The couple married at Geisa's Tropical Gardens in Miami, Florida, in May 2005. The reception was at O.J.'s home. Jason's brother, Justin, and his sister, Sydney, helped with the wedding preparations.
What happened to Jason Simpson's siblings?
His younger sister, Aaren Simpson (born on 24 September 1977), died from drowning injuries one month after her 2nd birthday. Meanwhile, Jason's eldest sister, Arnelle Simpson (born on December 4, 1968), remained a vocal supporter of her father.
The USA Today reported in 2017 that Arnelle was living in Fresno, California, and was in charge of her father's NFL pension, interests, and assets after his 2017 arrest in Las Vegas. The arrest was connected to a 2007 armed robbery at a Las Vegas hotel.
Arnelle remained close to her father and managed his assets until his death. The former American football player died from cancer on 10 April 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 76.
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Jason's half-siblings, Sydney Brooke (born on 17 October 1985) and Justin Ryan (born on 6 August 1988), spent some time at David Brobeck's house (Justin's godfather) during their father's trial.
The two were raised by their mum's sister, Tanya Brown. Sydney and Justin moved to Florida in 2000, six years after their mum's death, and have lived in relative anonymity since.
Sydney graduated from Boston University in 2010 with a degree in sociology and lived in Atlanta before moving to St. Petersburg, Florida. According to a 2016 Tampa Bay Times report, she and Justin worked in real estate, and Sydney owned multiple properties in Florida.
In February 2022, Justin announced on his Instagram that he was expecting a child with his partner, a baby girl they named Lana.
O.J. Simpson built a bond among his children before Nicole's death. For instance, he and Nicole brought Jason, Sydney, and Justin to the premiere of Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult three months before Nicole's murder.
Source: UGC
Facts about Jason Simpson
- He turned his life around after all the trouble in his past.
- He works in California as a Culinary director.
- He was featured on The Food That Binds: Episode 8.
- His specialty is cooking different types of delicious tacho dishes.
- He limits his presence in the media and has no known social media accounts.
There is rarely any news about Jason Simpson today because, like his siblings, he has kept his personal life out of the spotlight since the days of his father's murder trial. He tries to distance himself from the internet and the media to avoid the public's prying eyes.
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Source: Briefly News
Ruth Gitonga (Lifestyle writer) Ruth Gitonga has a background experience in Mass Communication for over six years. She graduated from the University of Nairobi with a degree in Mass Communication in December 2014. In 2023, Ruth finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She has worked for Briefly.co.za for five years now. She specializes in topics like lifestyle, entertainment, travel, technology, and sports. Email: gitongaruth14@gmail.com.
Peris Walubengo (Lifestyle writer) Peris Walubengo is a content creator with 5 years of experience writing articles, researching, editing, and proofreading. She has a Bachelor of Commerce & IT from the University of Nairobi and joined Briefly.co.za in November 2019. The writer completed a Google News Initiate Course. She covers bios, marketing & finance, tech, fashion & beauty, recipes, movies & gaming reviews, culture & travel. You can email her at perisrodah254@gmail.com.
