O.J. Simpson will be cremated; estate executor says ‘hard no’ to controversial ex-athlete’s brain being studied for CTE

An attorney for O.J. Simpson, who died of cancer last week at age 76, said Sunday that the former NFL star’s body will be cremated in the coming days and there are no plans to donate his brain to scientific research.

“On at least one occasion, someone called and said he was a chronic traumatic encephalopathy patient studying the brain,” said attorney Malcolm LaVergne, referring to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a type of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The degenerative brain disease, which has been studied in former football players, is linked to behavior and behavior.

“It was a hard no,” Lavigne added. “His entire body, including his brain, will be cremated.”

News of the cremation and the request to study his brain were first reported by the New York Post.

Lavigne, who is currently the executor of Simpson’s estate, said there are tentative plans to hold a “celebration of life” party limited to close friends and family. Simpson had three children with his first wife, Margaret Whitley, and two children with his second wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, whom he divorced in 1992. Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman were acquitted.

Lavigne on Sunday also clarified comments he made to the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Friday, in which he said he did not expect the Goldman family to receive any money from Simpson’s estate. Get zero, get nothing”. ”.

He said, referring to a debt collection attorney working with the Goldman family, “Within an hour we announced Simpson’s death and he was lashing out at Simpson and all these things, ‘We’re going to do this and do that.'”

“In hindsight, I think that was a pretty harsh response to saying, ‘I hope they get zero, nothing,'” Lavigne added. “Now that I understand my role as executor and personal representative, it’s time to tone down the rhetoric and really start thinking hard about my role as personal representative.”

Lavigne said he will invite the Goldman family’s legal representatives to review his findings as he calculates the value of Simpson’s estate and inventories his assets and properties.

“We can resolve this in a calm, dispassionate way,” Lavigne said.

After Simpson’s death, Goldman’s father, Fred Goldman, showed no sympathy for the fallen Hall of Fame icon turned Hollywood spokesman, telling NBC News, “It’s not a great loss to the world. It’s not a big loss to the world.” A further reminder that Ron is gone.

Simpson has long maintained his innocence in the deaths of Brown, Simpson and Goldman, but in a 1997 lawsuit filed by the victims’ families, Simpson was awarded $33.5 million for wrongful death, but he has yet to pay the bulk of the award. passed away under circumstances.

Lavigne said he would welcome attempts by Fred Goldman and his attorney David Cook to identify any additional financial assets, but with Simpson’s death, the estate must allocate funds “based on priorities.” creditor of a claim.

“Goldman Sachs and other creditors have been playing for decades, ‘Hey, if I find some of Simpson’s stuff first, I’ll get it, or I’ll get most of it,'” Lavigne said.

“But remember, if he finds $1 million, he can no longer keep the $1 million,” he added. “The $1 million will go into the estate first and then we’ll see where the priorities are and then he can keep it because he’s eighth on the priority list.”

Lavigne said Simpson’s debts include money owed to the Internal Revenue Service. After a lawsuit was filed against him three decades ago, many of Simpson’s properties, including footballs, jerseys and other sports memorabilia, were seized from his Brentwood, Calif., estate to pay off the judgment. Simpson lived in Las Vegas during his lifetime.

Cook said Sunday that as Simpson’s finances come to light, there will be intense interest from attorneys seeking compensation.

But “everybody knows that when O.J. left, he left without remorse,” Cook said.

Goldman Sachs and Cook said the lawsuit against Simpson was not about money but about seeking justice after his acquittal.

“The people who killed my son and Nicole need to be held accountable,” Fred Goldman said in a statement after winning the civil trial.

Simpson’s will requested that Lavigne also set aside funds to build a “suitable memorial” at his gravesite. It also says that Simpson wants the document to be administered “without litigation or controversy” and that if any beneficiary or heir fails to comply with this instruction, they “will receive one dollar ($1.00) without trust and will no longer be able to on behalf of any person claiming an interest in the Will or its assets.