O.J. Simpson was a father before he was anything else—a football star, an actor, a headline-dominating defendant. He had five kids from two marriages, and their lives have been shaped by fame, tragedy, and the burden of a notorious last name. Arnelle, Jason, Aaren, Sydney, and Justin Simpson grew up under very different circumstances, but their connection to their father—and the public scrutiny surrounding him—never faded.
All About O.J. Simpson’s Five Kids With Nicole Brown Simpson and Marguerite Whitley
O.J. Simpson had five kids from two marriages: with his first wife, Marguerite Whitley, he had three children—Arnelle (56), Jason (53), and Aaren, who tragically passed away before turning 2; with his second wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, he had two children—Sydney (39) and Justin (36).
Arnelle Simpson, the eldest, was born on December 4, 1968, when O.J. was a rising football star at USC. At 25, she found herself in the middle of the so-called Trial of the Century, defending her father and calling him her best friend. She was present at his 2017 parole hearing after he served nine years for a botched armed robbery in Las Vegas, pleading for his release so their family could move forward.
But her loyalty to O.J. wasn’t just public; she was the one who managed his finances after his 1997 civil trial left him owing $33.5 million to the Goldman and Brown families. She struggled to keep his affairs in order, at one point admitting that handling his money had been tough. After his release from prison in 2017, O.J. lived in Las Vegas, where Arnelle remained a constant presence in his life. Now 56, she has chosen to live a quieter existence, staying out of the spotlight after her father’s death in April 2024 at age 76 from metastatic prostate cancer.
Jason Simpson was born in 1970, the second child from O.J.’s first marriage to Marguerite Whitley. He was a fixture at his father’s major career moments—his induction into the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame in 1980, movie premieres, and public events. He was also at the Brentwood mansion when his father returned from the infamous Bronco chase on June 17, 1994. When police arrived, Jason tried to talk to his father but was handcuffed and led back inside the house.
Unlike his sister Arnelle, Jason has spent most of his adult life avoiding media attention. He pursued a culinary career, working as a chef at high-end restaurants, including Melisse, a Michelin-starred spot in Santa Monica. As of 2016, he was based in Atlanta, working at St. Cecilia, a trendy restaurant in the city. Though rumors have occasionally swirled around Jason—including unfounded speculations that he, not his father, was responsible for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman—he has stayed silent, choosing a private life over defending himself publicly.
Aaren Simpson was the third child of O.J. and Marguerite, born in 1977. Her life was tragically short. In August 1979, just a month shy of her second birthday, she drowned in the family’s swimming pool. Though she was rushed to the hospital and placed on life support, she never recovered, dying eight days later. Her death was a devastating blow, but O.J. rarely spoke about it publicly. By that time, his marriage to Marguerite was already falling apart. They divorced in 1979, the same year he began dating Nicole Brown, the woman who would become his second wife and the central figure in the crime that would define his legacy.
Sydney Brooke Simpson was born on October 17, 1985, the first child of O.J. and Nicole. She was only eight years old when her mother tragically died outside their Brentwood home on June 12, 1994. That night, Sydney and her younger brother, Justin, were asleep upstairs, unaware of the horror unfolding outside. After their father’s arrest and acquittal, Sydney and Justin were raised by their maternal grandparents, Juditha and Louis Brown, before moving to Florida in 2000.
Sydney went on to attend Boston University, graduating in 2010 with a degree in sociology. She lived in Atlanta for a while before settling in St. Petersburg, where she built a successful real estate career. She owns multiple properties and runs her own company, overseeing rental investments. Though she has never spoken publicly about the trial or her father’s legacy, she remains close to her mother’s side of the family, attending the 2016 wedding of her cousin, Sean Brown.
Justin Ryan Simpson, the youngest of O.J.’s children, was born on August 6, 1988. He was only five when his mother passed away. Like Sydney, he was raised by his grandparents and eventually moved to Florida. He followed in his sister’s footsteps, entering the real estate business and becoming an agent for Coldwell Banker in St. Petersburg.
In February 2022, he announced on Instagram that he was expecting a daughter with his partner. He and Sydney have kept their lives as private as possible, choosing to focus on their careers and families rather than their father’s infamy. According to their godfather, David Brobeck, they have “found a good life” and “grown into solid, loving parents.”
The crime of the century. The hunt for the truth.
American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson premieres January 29. Featuring new and candid interviews, the series reexamines the true crime story that changed American culture. pic.twitter.com/E7jQpwdAYO
— Netflix (@netflix) January 17, 2025
American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson is streaming on Netflix.
