Former football star accused of murder was battling cancer. : O.J. Simpson, whose feats on the football field and in pop culture were eventually overshadowed by accusations that he brutally murdered his ex-wife and her friend in 1994, died Wednesday, according to a post from his family on social media. He was 76 years old. Simpson’s attorney confirmed to TMZ he died Wednesday night in Las Vegas. A message posted Thursday on Simpson’s official X account — formerly Twitter — said he died after battling cancer. “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.