O.J. Simpson was arrested on Feb. 1, 1989, after he allegedly punched, slapped and kicked his pretty blonde wife Nicole during a violent argument at their home. The National ENQUIRER had the full story years before O.J. was arrested for Nicole’s murder in 1994 — and reported at the time on how Simpson was worried that the assault case would spell the end of his career. “The news of O.J.’s alleged violence couldn’t have come at a worse time professionally for him,” said a Hollywood insider.
The industry spy revealed that some major Hollywood names were furious over the charges made against Simpson, and that they believed his battered wife! “He and Erik Estrada were to costar in a new series, ‘Hunks,’ playing retired pro athletes who become private detectives,” said the source. “O.J. had a February 3 meeting scheduled with producers and network officials. But after the story broke on February 2 about his vicious row with his wife, the meeting was canceled that afternoon!” Sadly, as with Bill Cosby and Matt Lauer, there were plenty more Hollywood insiders who kept embracing Simpson despite the backstage talk…
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Kris had been married to attorney Robert Kardashian when Simpson was arrested for both assaulting Nicole and later murdering her. Robert had also helped his pal put together the Dream Team of lawyers who
got the NFL star off the hook in 1995.
Photo credit: Splash News
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Photo credit: Getty Images
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Nicole supposedly forgave her husband, and the couple remained married until 1992 — but her nightmare of abuse wouldn't end! There were still plenty of star-struck celebs happy to keep hanging with O.J. The football star was even hosted by the wife of New York City mayor David Dinkins for a 1991 charity event!
Photo credit: Getty Images
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Simpson was also always welcome on the celebrity golf circuit — where he often was seen palling around with lovely Hawaiian Tropic models, as seen in this photo from the 1992 Mexico Celebrity Sports Invitational Tournament.
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Stars like Larry Hagman and Peter Fonda were also proud to hang with Simpson at the October 1993 opening of the Harley Davidson Cafe in New York City!
Photo credit: Getty Images
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Charges of spousal abuse didn't keep NBC Sports from keeping Simpson as a football correspondent — although that ultimately embarrassed the network. Video even caught the sports reporter on the sidelines wearing the Bruno Magli shoes that left prints at the crime scene, and that he denied ever owning!
Photo credit: Getty Images
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NBC also hired Simpson to star in a made-for-TV movie called "Frogmen" — but a planned series never happened after O.J. was arrested. The film was later confiscated by the police, and there were theories that Simpson's training to play a Navy S.E.A.L.
could have helped Simpson kill Nicole and
Ron Goldman more efficiently!
Photo credit: Getty Images
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Simpson kept working as an occasional guest star on the HBO series "1st & Ten" after his arrest for domestic violence — although that caused some controversy within the network. "We were asked to book O.J. as a guest star on our show for HBO," said a former producer for the pay network.
Photo credit: YouTube
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"We got the impression that it was expected of us," added the insider, "but there were some female producers on our staff who threatened to take it to the newspapers if they were forced to work with O.J.!"
Photo credit: Getty Images
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Sadly, the producers and cast of the "Naked Gun" series were still willing to bring back Simpson as the bumbling Detective Nordberg for two more movies after the actor's arrest in 1989. Series producer David Zucker was unrepentant, though, and even wanted O.J. in a fourth "Naked Gun" movie.
Photo credit: YouTube
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"Yeah, I think we did have an idea," David recalled. "It involved Nordberg claiming that his wife was killed, and he was going to search for the killer...That’s what we would have done, but I don’t think Paramount wanted to reboot it. Everybody’s so scared."
Photo credit: Getty Images
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The executives at Paramount were right to be scared. By 1996, nobody in showbiz wanted to be caught posing next to the disgraced gridiron great. The only millionaire willing to hang out with Simpson right after the trial was Sheikh Hisham Kabbani from Lebanon — who paid the Hollywood outcast to give a speech about media bias!
Photo credit: Getty Images
Kris had been married to attorney Robert Kardashian when Simpson was arrested for both assaulting Nicole and later murdering her. Robert had also helped his pal put together the Dream Team of lawyers who
got the NFL star off the hook in 1995.
Photo credit: Splash News
Photo credit: Getty Images
Nicole supposedly forgave her husband, and the couple remained married until 1992 — but her nightmare of abuse wouldn't end! There were still plenty of star-struck celebs happy to keep hanging with O.J. The football star was even hosted by the wife of New York City mayor David Dinkins for a 1991 charity event!
Photo credit: Getty Images
Simpson was also always welcome on the celebrity golf circuit — where he often was seen palling around with lovely Hawaiian Tropic models, as seen in this photo from the 1992 Mexico Celebrity Sports Invitational Tournament.
Stars like Larry Hagman and Peter Fonda were also proud to hang with Simpson at the October 1993 opening of the Harley Davidson Cafe in New York City!
Photo credit: Getty Images
Charges of spousal abuse didn't keep NBC Sports from keeping Simpson as a football correspondent — although that ultimately embarrassed the network. Video even caught the sports reporter on the sidelines wearing the Bruno Magli shoes that left prints at the crime scene, and that he denied ever owning!
Photo credit: Getty Images
NBC also hired Simpson to star in a made-for-TV movie called "Frogmen" — but a planned series never happened after O.J. was arrested. The film was later confiscated by the police, and there were theories that Simpson's training to play a Navy S.E.A.L.
could have helped Simpson kill Nicole and
Ron Goldman more efficiently!
Photo credit: Getty Images
Simpson kept working as an occasional guest star on the HBO series "1st & Ten" after his arrest for domestic violence — although that caused some controversy within the network. "We were asked to book O.J. as a guest star on our show for HBO," said a former producer for the pay network.
"We got the impression that it was expected of us," added the insider, "but there were some female producers on our staff who threatened to take it to the newspapers if they were forced to work with O.J.!"
Photo credit: Getty Images
Sadly, the producers and cast of the "Naked Gun" series were still willing to bring back Simpson as the bumbling Detective Nordberg for two more movies after the actor's arrest in 1989. Series producer David Zucker was unrepentant, though, and even wanted O.J. in a fourth "Naked Gun" movie.
"Yeah, I think we did have an idea," David recalled. "It involved Nordberg claiming that his wife was killed, and he was going to search for the killer...That’s what we would have done, but I don’t think Paramount wanted to reboot it. Everybody’s so scared."
Photo credit: Getty Images
The executives at Paramount were right to be scared. By 1996, nobody in showbiz wanted to be caught posing next to the disgraced gridiron great. The only millionaire willing to hang out with Simpson right after the trial was Sheikh Hisham Kabbani from Lebanon — who paid the Hollywood outcast to give a speech about media bias!
Photo credit: Getty Images
