Jason Bean / USA TODAY NETWORK
It’s been almost 30 years since a civil jury found O.J. Simpson liable for the deaths of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson. The court awarded the Brown and Goldman families more than $33 million. Since then, almost none of that money has been paid.
On Friday, O.J. Simpson’s estate executor Malcolm LaVergne approved a settlement of nearly $58 million. The Goldman family had originally submitted a claim of more than $117 million, the $33 million plus almost three decades’ worth of interest.
LaVergne’s current cooperation in finally paying the debt owed to the Goldman family by the late O.J. Simpson is quite an about-face. Shortly after Simpson’s death in 2024, LaVergne said, “It’s my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing. Them specifically. And I will do everything in my capacity as the executor or personal representative to try and ensure that they get nothing.”
He would quickly backtrack, however, after being inundated with criticism for his harsh statement.
Now, according to court documents seen by TMZ and filed by O.J. Simpson’s estate executor, LaVergne has approved the Goldmans creditor claim in the “amount of $57,997,858.12 (U.S.), plus judgment interest on the approved amount.” LaVergne is also reportedly expected to ask the court to award Goldman a fee for administrative costs related to advising him on how to manage the estate.
The Goldman family is still going to have a difficult time collecting
NBC News reports Michaelle Rafferty, Fred Goldman’s attorney, said LaVergne’s acceptance of the claim was a “positive acknowledgement of the debt.”
“It does not constitute payment. This acceptance allows the administration of the claim to move forward in probate. We will continue to monitor the probate process as it progresses,” he said in a statement.
NBC News also noted that LaVergne claimed that the value of Simpson’s estate is between $500,000 and $1 million. The State of California claims it is owed approximately $636,945 from O.J. Simpson’s estate in back taxes. LaVergne told TMZ that the state will have to sue to receive that money.