12. O.J. Simpson left stardom behind for infamy and speculation.
Orenthal James (O.J.) Simpson was an all-American superstar. Not only was he a football legend, by the 1980s he was also enjoying a successful career as an actor and broadcaster. What’s more, he was making lots of money in advertisements as brands attempted to cash in on his popularity. Then, overnight, he experienced one of the greatest falls from grace of modern times.
Simpson first made a name for himself as a college football star. Playing for the University of Southern California, he won the 1968 Heisman Trophy, an award given for not just sporting excellence but also – ironically enough – for personal integrity. After graduation, he played professional NFL football for 11 seasons. Simpson became one of the game’s biggest stars, breaking a series of records. Even when he retired from football in 1973, his star didn’t wane. Instead, he went on to enjoy success in Hollywood and on the small screen as a football pundit.
On June 12, 1994, however, it all came crashing down for Simpson. His ex-wife and her partner were found brutally murdered in their LA home. Simpson was identified as a person of interest. Instead of handing himself in to the police, he led them on a televised car chase. When he finally went on trial, the nation was gripped. To the amazement of most of the American public, Simpson was found not guilty.
Almost overnight, Simpson went from an all-American hero to a symbol of domestic violence and also of corruption within the American legal system. If anything, his reputation has continued to plummet. He has had several run-ins with the law ever since the famous trial and ever served time in prison for armed robbery.