From Richard Roeper (https://www.facebook.com/RichardERoeper):

The success of "The People v. OJ Simpson" has me digging through old files for pics and columns from my time covering the trial and the aftermath. Recently I found a picture of my interview with OJ's girlfriend, Paula Barbieri, who had once again become his EX-girlfriend by the time we talked in Chicago.

Here's the column:

Paula Barbieri is in Chicago to promote The Other Woman: My Years With O.J. Simpson, and she wants a hot dog.

It's 11 o'clock in the morning, but hey, sure, why not. I suggest Gold Coast Dogs -- a good mile south of the hotel but probably the nearest and best wiener haven. Because it's such a gorgeous day we decide we'll take a walk.

The statuesque, thin and oddly famous Barbieri swivels a number of heads as we make our way down State Street. At least one gawker is heard to say "Julia" to his companion; I guess he thinks she's Julia Roberts.

She talks about how much she likes "Seinfeld" and how her male friends are in love with the Elaine character. The relationship patter leads to a story about a girlfriend of Barbieri's who was devastated after a broken engagement.

"I cheered her up by saying, 'It could be worse -- look at me,' " says Barbieri.

Good point. O.J. Simpson is pretty much the poster man for ex-boyfriends you'd like to forget.

We sidestep construction pits and weave our way through buses and cabs. Barbieri asks about those "famous mints you get at Marshall Field's" (Frango) and stops to ponder a number of sights, including a stuffed doggie in a store window that reminds her of her terriers, a bar where the customers are indulging in late-morning Boilermakers -- and an alley, crowded with dumpsters and gruel.

"Look at that, a genuine Chicago alley. Never saw one of those before."

Our arrival at Gold Coast causes a minor stir, but Barbieri pretends not to notice. She orders a couple of char-dogs piled high with extras, and we find a table so we can talk. (The tape recorder is turned off while she says grace.)

Q. You said for a long time you weren't going to cash in and do a book, so what changed your mind?

A. There were so many different reasons, really. In my church group I was encouraged to write a spiritual journal, and in doing that I realized there was so much I still needed to sort out. And there were so many different perspectives that were out there, I wanted to give my perspective. Here I was in this terrible relationship and I couldn't let go. So many other people are in those kinds of relationships, you say goodbye so many times but you can't walk away. I'd been offered money by the tabloids and things like that but I never wanted the money from something like that.

Q. Let's set aside O.J.'s innocence or guilt . . .

A. OK great! Sounds good to me.

Q. Well, you're not going to come right out and say he did it -- but you obviously have your doubts. But I'm reading your book and I'm reading about the day you met him, and he had another woman stashed upstairs that day. Throughout your relationship he's lying to you, he's setting up schemes to be with other women, he's losing his temper. He comes across as a sexist creep and a pathological liar, so how did you fall so deeply in love with him?

A. I don't know how many other people are out there who have had those kind of relationships where, rather than place the blame on the person, you place the blame somehow on yourself. Maybe that's part of my personality, maybe I'm trying to somehow make everything all right by turning it around on myself. Even throughout the trial I'd say, "I shouldn't have questioned that, I'm sure he had a good reason."

Q. On June 12, 1994, you were in Las Vegas with Michael Bolton. But after you heard the news of the murders, Bolton doesn't exactly come across as a knight in shining armor, either. He basically said, "This is too huge for me," and sent you on your way.

A. I don't blame him at all for saying that. He was in the media, he knew what it would be like. I was saying, "'Oh, I can handle this,"' and he said, "'You have no idea."' He was right. Looking back, I wish I could have had a longer conversation with (Michael) about that.

Q. You know, most relationships tend to go bad when the guy is in jail while on trial for double murder, but yours actually got stronger. That probably should have told you something, eh?

A. Let me tell you what my mother said about that: "Well honey, look at it this way: At least you know where he is tonight."

Q. In the meantime you were becoming more famous than you ever could have hoped for as an actress or a model.

A. Yes. I had always had this big goal of winning an Academy Award -- but when I talked about that with my minister it was really a turning point because I realized how empty that was to have that as a big goal. So in a way I'm really grateful for all this because of what it taught me. I'm not saying you can't be a Christian in Hollywood but it's (much harder) than where I'm living (in Panama City, Fla.) now.

Q. You're on a 10-city tour to promote this book, but when it's over is it your goal to go back to a private life away from the lights and cameras?

A. That would be nice. I'd like to do something with kids, something to make a difference. It's not like I want to go out and save the world but I want to do something that makes a difference -- and you know, find that guy that's out there scratching his head, saying, "Why does she keep picking idiots?" And when I find him we can have lots of babies.

Q. That's a tough thing for a guy, to ask O.J.'s ex-girlfriend for a date.

A. The first date I had was eight months after the trial was over and O.J. was gone. I felt, "Who would want to date me?" I felt so ugly, I felt like I had a disease. I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to ask me out. But it would say a lot about a guy if he had the courage to ask me out.

Q. Do you still trust your instincts when it comes to men?

A. I hope I can read people a little better now. With O.J., when he was out of jail and he was selling stories to tabloids, it was not the same person who was reading Psalms in jail. When I confronted him with the story that he sold (to the tabloids) speculating that we were getting married, he said, "My mama read that and she thinks it's great," and I said, "Well, marry your mama then." And he got so angry then. I started thinking, if he's this way now, imagine what it would be like if we were married. These days I'm trying to follow the ways of Abraham, I'm really trying not to take things into my own hands, I'm trying to be patient, you know? Because I can make a big mess of things on my own.

Paula visits OJ while he's in jail...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KXAe-yqau4

Honestly, the reason Reddit seems to hate O.J. Simpson so much is pretty simple: most people there believe he did it.

And then there's the evidence. The blood, DNA, gloves, timeline, his history with Nicole, and everything else surrounding the case are enough for most Redditors to say, "Come on, he obviously did it."

The civil trial also plays a big part. Simpson was later found liable for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, and for a lot of people, that only reinforces what they already believed about the criminal case.

Then you have Nicole's history of abuse. That's something people today tend to take very seriously, and it makes the prosecution's argument look much more convincing to a lot of people.

And, honestly, I think there's also a bigger reason for the hatred: people feel O.J. got away with it. He was a huge celebrity, had an incredibly expensive defense team, and ultimately walked out of that courtroom a free man. That's a pretty powerful narrative, especially on Reddit.

That said, Reddit isn't completely unanimous. There are people who believe the prosecution failed to prove its case and that the LAPD's handling of the evidence created legitimate reasonable doubt. Some of those people will tell you they get absolutely buried in downvotes whenever they question the popular narrative.

So maybe that's the real story here. Reddit doesn't necessarily hate O.J. because he was acquitted. It hates the idea that being acquitted should automatically mean he was innocent.

We definitely respect everyone's opinion on the case (we really do). But whether you think he's guilty or not, nobody should be 100% certain. Unless YOU were there.

Note: Just having some fun with the magazine Donald, hope you don't mind. You seem like a good sport.

Blood evidence is often portrayed as one of the most powerful forms of forensic evidence, but history shows that even blood can be manipulated. There are documented cases in which law enforcement personnel have planted or fabricated biological evidence to strengthen a case against a suspect.

For example, David Kofoed’s case is a disturbing reminder that even seemingly airtight forensic evidence can be manipulated. Kofoed, a crime scene investigator in Nebraska, was convicted of tampering with evidence after planting a murder victim’s blood in a suspect’s vehicle during the 2006 Wayne and Sharmon Stock murder investigation, helping support a case against men who were later cleared. Investigators and courts also established that he had fabricated DNA evidence in an earlier murder investigation. Kofoed’s case does not prove that planted evidence is common, but it proves something far more important: it has happened, and it happened inside a legitimate criminal investigation involving someone whose job was to collect and interpret evidence.

Think for yourself and ALWAYS ask questions.

More if you're interested: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/csi-director-convicted-of-planting-evidence-in-murder-investigation

Shouldn't O.J. have been planning the murders on June 11th?

And let's not forget the Chicago red eye flight he took the morning after the murders to attend a celebrity golf tournament hosted by Hertz, one of his major corporate sponsors.

So, let me get this straight. He supposedly pulled this off like a trained assassin mentored by John Wick, then left behind a trail of blood and two connecting gloves that conveniently helped lead investigators straight to him?

Meanwhile, Nicole (in a skimpy black dress) was surrounded by a world of coke, younger men and ménage à trois meet ups?

Just asking questions.

I mean, we're still allowed to think for ourselves, right? Or are we just expected to conform to the popular opinion by default?

Looks like he had better things to do judging from these photos.

From becoming one of the biggest stars in football and Hollywood to walking away from one of the most infamous trials in American history, O.J. Simpson seemed to defy the odds at every turn. Even after his later legal troubles and imprisonment, his name remained one of the most recognizable in America.

Heck, he even had an estimated net worth of $3 million when he died in April 2024, meaning he was still living large during the last six plus years of his free life.

So here's the uncomfortable question: Did O.J. Simpson actually have a talent for winning, or was he simply the luckiest man in American history?

If he truly did have a talent for winning, then perhaps the truth will eventually prevail. Maybe one day the media narrative will flip, and O.J. will be remembered alongside names like Muhammad Ali as one of the greatest sports celebrities of all time.

More than three decades after the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, an alternative theory about the case continues to circulate: that the two victims may have been targeted by people connected to Los Angeles' drug trade.

According to a 2026 report from RadarOnline.com, witnesses claimed that suspicious men were seen near the Mezzaluna restaurant on the night of June 12, 1994, when Nicole and Goldman were killed. The report also revisited allegations that Nicole and Goldman had connections to people involved in the local cocaine trade.

The witnesses reportedly claimed that the pair acted as intermediaries, supplying cocaine to people in Los Angeles' more affluent social circles. The theory suggests that Nicole's own drug use eventually caused financial problems, leaving her owing money to people involved in the drug business.

One alleged source claimed that Nicole had fallen deeply into debt and was unable to repay what she owed. According to this account, the situation eventually became dangerous and may have provided a motive for the killings.

The report also claimed that several people with knowledge of the alleged drug connections stayed quiet during O.J. Simpson's 1995 murder trial because they were concerned about exposing their own involvement in the drug scene. It further suggested that some individuals may still possess information that could shed light on the alternative theory.

None of these allegations were established as fact in the criminal case. O.J. Simpson was acquitted of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman's murders in October 1995. A separate civil jury later found Simpson liable for their deaths.

The drug-gang theory remains one of several alternative explanations that have circulated over the years. While it has attracted renewed attention, it has never replaced the central findings established through the legal proceedings surrounding the murders.

Late true crime author Stephen Singular — known for his book Legacy of Deception — also investigated the dark underbelly of the Los Angeles Westside, suggesting that the Mezzaluna Trattoria in Brentwood served as a major hub or "den" for drug trafficking and cocaine distribution.

White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwRXI-y6M9o

Ron Shipp was a former LAPD officer who had known O.J. Simpson for years and also knew Nicole Brown Simpson. That connection put him in an unusual position after Nicole and Ronald Goldman were murdered on June 12, 1994.

Shipp testified that he went to Simpson’s Rockingham home the following day. During a private conversation, Shipp claimed O.J. told him he had “a lot of dreams about killing her,” referring to Nicole. Shipp also testified about Nicole contacting him after the 1989 domestic-violence incident and said he had previously confronted Simpson about his treatment of her.

The defense went after Shipp's credibility hard. They questioned how close he really was to O.J., his history with alcohol, and why he waited to tell authorities about the alleged conversation. Shipp admitted he initially kept the information to himself because of his loyalty to Simpson.

Shipp has also been portrayed by Simpson supporters as a hostile witness who was jealous of O.J.'s fame, success and lifestyle.

His background with the LAPD also became relevant because the defense was challenging the department's handling of the investigation and allegations that evidence may have been mishandled or planted. Shipp had obvious ties to the department, but there was never a finding that he personally participated in planting or concealing evidence.

In the end, Shipp was an important prosecution witness because he knew both O.J. and Nicole and claimed to have heard a disturbing statement from Simpson immediately after the murders. But his credibility was heavily attacked (see below), and his testimony was ultimately circumstantial. Simpson was acquitted of the murders on October 3, 1995.

Why Shipp's credibility was attacked by defense:

• His acting career: The defense said Shipp may have used O.J. to get attention and help his acting career. Some of the projects Ron has appeared in include bit parts/voice acting in Hero and the Terror (1988), The New Adam 12 (1990-1991), Timebomb (1991) and Dr Giggles (1992). After the O.J. Simpson trial, Shipp never worked in film again, aside from appearing in documentaries related to the case.
• His drinking: Shipp had a past drinking problem. The defense questioned if drinking could have affected his memory. Shipp said he was not drinking that night.
• He waited to tell police: Shipp did not tell police right away about O.J. saying he dreamed about killing Nicole. The defense said this made his story hard to believe.
• The defense said he was lying: O.J.’s lawyers said the conversation never happened and that Shipp made it up.
• They questioned his story: The defense questioned whether Shipp was really alone with O.J. and said his story did not match what other people remembered.
• His LAPD ties: Shipp had worked for the LAPD. The defense questioned his connections to police officers and their relationship with O.J.
• His behavior in court: Shipp became emotional and told O.J., “This is sad, O.J.” Judge Ito told the jury to ignore the comment.

Shipp was the subject of a late 90s book called The Frame of the Century by J. Neil Schulman.

The woman you rarely hear about, as it screws up the "OJ was obssessively stalking Nicole" narrative...

Model Paula Barbieri, O.J. Simpson’s former girlfriend, publicly maintained that she believed he was innocent of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

In a 1995 interview with Diane Sawyer, shortly after Simpson was acquitted, Barbieri said she believed he did not commit the murders and continued to support him despite the controversy surrounding the case.

She later wrote about their relationship in her 1997 book, The Other Woman: My Years With O.J. Simpson. Although Simpson was acquitted in the 1995 criminal trial, he was later found liable for the deaths of Brown and Goldman in a 1997 civil wrongful death case.

After their breakup, Paula went on to date Michael Bolton.

Clip of Paula Barbieri's deposition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQn85orfxjU

ABC News Primetime Live- November 1, 1995 Paula Barbieri Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSL83mqlg9Q