Trial Witness Kato Kaelin Speaks Out About O.J. Simpson's Death
O.J. Simpson died on April 10, and with the news of his passing, many have spoken out about the polarizing figure including trial witness Kato Kaelin.
News of the former NFL star's death was posted on his X account, formerly known as Twitter, revealing he passed away from cancer. Simpson had a controversial life, as all eyes were on him for the murder case of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in the mid-'90s. People watched every step of the trial to see whether Simpson would be convicted or not, and you may remember Kaelin took the stand during this controversial case, becoming a key testimony as he was in the guest house that night of the murders.
Kaelin has since taken the time to speak out about Simpson's death. Posting a video on X, the former trial witness expressed his sorrow for Simpson's kids. He said, "Foremost, I'd like to express my condolences to the children, to Sydney and to Justin, to Jason, and Arnelle. They lost their father and that is never easy." While Kaelin quickly addressed the Simpson bunch, he also spoke about the Goldman and Brown families during this time. He said, "I wish to express my love and compassion to the Goldmans. To Fred, and to Kim. I hope you find closure." He concluded, "And finally, to the family of the beautiful Nicole Brown Simpson: May we always cherish her memories. Nicole was a beacon of light that burned bright. May we never forget her."
Kato Kaelin believed O.J. Simpson was guilty
People were on pins and needles to hear Kato Kaelin's testimony in the O.J. Simpson trial. Kaelin was on the property the night of the murders and was good friends with Simpson, which he admitted in court. He shared, "Yes. I'm still a friend," he continued, "I'm — I know my job is to be 100 percent honest and that's what I'm going to do." Kaelin told his side of the story, and despite revealing some damning details, it wasn't enough to have the jury prosecute Simpson, who was later acquitted.
Even though he was good friends with Simpson once, Kaelin's life today has included a shift in his feelings toward his former friend. He believes Simpson committed the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The former witness wondered if Simpson expressed regret for what he believes the professional athlete did to his ex-wife and her friend. He told USA Today, "I believe in heaven and hell myself. So I don't know if he died knowing what he had done or if he had a penance to whatever." Kaelin sees Simpson's death as closure but still feels remorse for the Brown and Goldman family. He shared, "It's horrible what he did to families, of putting them through pain. And the pain always will be there." The pain never went away for the Goldman family, as they have since reacted to the news of Simpson's death.
The Goldman family referred to O.J. Simpson as a killer
O.J. Simpson's passing had a lot of mixed reactions, but the Goldman family wanted the public to remember the victims in the infamous case as they spoke out following Simpson's death. Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman's lives were tragically cut short the night of the murders, and from the very beginning, the Goldman family believed that Simpson was guilty of the killings. When Simpson was acquitted, Ron's father, Fred Goldman, simply told reporters, "Justice was not served" (via CNN). The Goldman family was convinced Simpson had killed their son and Brown, and that still held true after news of Simpson's death broke.
Reacting to his death, Fred told Entertainment Tonight, "This is a reminder of how long Ron and Nicole have been gone and missed. It's not about the killer, it's about the victims." Fred was referring to Simpson as "the killer," and so did Ron's sister, Kim, who shared a heart-wrenching statement following the passing of the former NFL player. She wrote on X, "The news of Ron's killer passing away is a mixed bag of complicated emotions and reminds us that the journey through grief is not linear," continuing to say, "For three decades we tirelessly pursued justice for Ron and Nicole, and despite a civil judgment and his confession in 'If I Did It,' the hope for true accountability has ended." Simpson's passing may have brought closure to trial witness Kato Kaelin, but it certainly didn't to the Goldman family.