Summary
- O. J. Simpson’s Netflix show, American Manhunt, provides insight into his 1994 murder case.
- Christopher Darden opens up about the case, dispelling speculation about it being race-driven.
- Despite losing the civil case, O. J. Simpson never paid the $33.5 million to the victims’ families.
American Manhunt: O. J Simpson is Netflix‘s latest foray into the true crime genre. It has been a huge hit for the streamer since it aired all four episodes on 29 January 2025. It featured brand-new interviews with the people involved, and revealed some shocking details about the 30-year-old murder trial.
On June 12, 1994, the retired American footballer turned actor and broadcaster, O. J Simpson brutally murdered his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman in Brentwood, Los Angeles. This led to what became known as the trial of the century and one of the most shocking acquittals in history.
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Christopher Darden Gives A Revealing In Depth Interview About His Involvement In The O. J Simpson Case
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American Manhunt: O. J Simpson |
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Contributors |
Christopher Darden, Kim Goldman, Mike Gilbert, Carl Douglas, Mark Fuhrman, Tom Lange, Kato Kaelin, Ron Shipp, Jill Shively, Brad Roberts and Geraldo Rivera |
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Episodes |
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Directed by |
Floyd Russ |
American Manhunt does have a tendency to go over the same information the audience already knows if they’ve seen Ezra Edelman’s epic 2016 documentary, O. J: Made In America, with a lot of the same players involved this time around. However, Christopher Darden, who was a key part of the prosecution team trying to bring justice to the Brown and Goldman families, finally gets a chance to put his version of the story across, and it’s quite compelling. The defense team desperately tried to make the O. J Simpson case all about race, when it had absolutely nothing to do with it.
Carl Douglas, who was part of Johnnie Cochran’s defense team, is interviewed for the documentary, and he claims Darden was hired by the prosecution team to level the playing field because he was black. Darden hits back and claims he was hired based on his abilities as a trial lawyer, and he’s right. Darden was a great lawyer, and he rightly earned his place on the prosecution team after fellow prosecutor, Bill Hodgman’s heart scare forced him to take a back seat. Darden fought courageously for justice and the pain of losing the case is still etched on his face in the Netflix documentary. Yes, Darden did make a mistake by allowing O. J Simpson to try on the bloody glove found at the murder scene, but he wasn’t to know that Simpson would go ‘full naked gun‘ and con the jury into thinking it didn’t fit.
If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.
The People Close To O. J Simpson Had Their Suspicions Over His Guilt
Mike Gilbert was O. J SImpson’s former manager, and had close access to the ex-American footballer after the infamous trial. Gilbert features in the Netflix documentary, and reveals that he’d asked Simpson if he did it, and he allegedly told him it wouldn’t have happened if Brown-Simpson hadn’t opened the door with a knife. However, Gilbert later concedes that Simpson went to his ex-wife’s home with the intention of killing her. He also questions who O. J Simpson actually was, and whether he should be judged on the worst day of his life:
Was O.J. a really good person who was capable of doing bad things? Or was O.J. just a really bad person that occasionally did good things? I still don’t know, who was he? Which person did I know?
O. J Simpson Never Paid Up Despite The Success Of The Civil Case Against Him
Ron Goldman’s sister, Kim, features in the Netflix documentary and reveals that O. J Simpson never actually paid any of the $33.5 million he was liable for after the successful wrongful death civil case against him. However, Kim and her father, Fred, fought him all the way and made sure he was never able to profit from the brutal slayings of Ron and Nicole. It was never about money, and more about seeking accountability for the brutal crimes Simpson was able to get away with. Simpson died at the age of 76 in April 2024, and lived out his final years in a luxury residence in Las Vegas, and never admitted to the murders.
Watch American Manhunt: O. J Simpson On Netflix Now
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