O.J. Simpson's attorney walks back 'harsh remarks,' says Goldman claim 'will be accepted'
O.J. Simpson’s longtime attorney is changing his stance on the payout of a $33.5 million judgment awarded to the families of Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman in 1997.
O.J. Simpson’s longtime attorney, Malcolm LaVergne, who was named executor of Simpson's estate after the Hall of Famer’s death last week, is walking back comments he made Friday regarding Simpson’s estate and the payout of a $33.5 million civil court judgment awarded in 1997 to the families of Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman.
LaVergne, who had represented Simpson since 2009, initially told the Las Vegas Review-Journal he would put up a fight to prevent the payout.
His remarks came just one day after it was announced the former Buffalo Bills running back had died at 76 after a battle with prostate cancer.
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"It’s my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing," LaVergne told the outlet. "Them specifically. And I will do everything in my capacity as the executor or personal representative to try and ensure that they get nothing."
Just days later, LaVergne walked back his statement in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
"I can tell you in advance, Fred Goldman’s claim will be accepted. And his claim will be handled in accordance with Nevada law," LaVergne clarified, adding his initial comments were directed at Goldman’s attorneys.
O.J. SIMPSON ESTATE EXECUTOR VOWS TO CONTEST $33.5M PAYOUT: 'GOLDMANS GET ZERO, NOTHING'
"Within an hour of knowing that O.J. died, he started talking s---. My advocate instinct was, ‘Oh, you’re gonna keep s----ing on him even after he’s dead?’" LaVergne said. "’Fine, you know? You get nothing.’ And so, those were my remarks then. But I backtracked, and they were pretty harsh remarks. And now I’m going in the other direction."
LaVergne added that he plans to invite a member of each family to a meeting where he will be "hypertransparent" with them.
Simpson was acquitted of the June 1994 knife slayings of Brown and Goldman a year after the murders. In 1997, a civil jury in California found him liable in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Simpson said he lived only on his NFL and private pensions. Hundreds of valuable possessions had been seized as part of the jury award, and Simpson was forced to auction his Heisman Trophy, fetching $230,000.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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