The ESPYs did former NFL star OJ Simpson dirty on Thursday night.
The award show paid tribute to former star athletes who died in 2024 but left him out.
The event, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, hosts a segment called “In Memoriam” every year to honor former athletes who have died since the last ceremony. Willie Mays, Larry Allen, Jerry West, and Bill Walton were among those mentioned, but OJ was noticeably excluded.
ESPN may have chosen to keep him out because of the reaction to the BET Awards highlighting him two weeks ago.
Simpson was shown during the BET Awards’ remembrance segment, and the silence was palpable after he came up, with some people clapping after the awkward moment.
The families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman criticized the network over the mention. It appears ESPN was keen to avoid similar backlash.
Nicole Brown’s sister reacts to the BET Awards including O.J. Simpson in their ‘In Memoriam’ segment:
“It’s inappropriate to give an abuser and murderer recognition.” (via TMZ) pic.twitter.com/JXYJdojZhU
— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 1, 2024
OJ Simpson Passed Away From Prostate Cancer Earlier This Year
OJ Simpson, who was tried for the 1994 murders of his ex-wife and her friend, passed away in April after a battle with prostate cancer.
The 76-year-old was in hospice care months before he died.
While he was acquitted in court, a civil lawsuit determined he was responsible for the deaths of Brown and Goldman.
The former tailback maintained a presence on social media before his death and appeared as a football analyst on rappers Cam’ron and Mase’s ‘It Is What It Is’ sports podcast during the 2023 NFL season.
