The former NFL star OJ Simpson, who was infamously acquitted of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman, died on Wednesday night at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer.
In the wake of his death, Simpson’s strange connection to the former “Golden Girls” star Betty White, who died in 2021 at the age of 99, has come to light.
Simpson And White’s Connection
Decades ago, Simpson and White were neighbors when he lived in his now notorious estate in Brentwood, California.
After White’s death on New Year’s Eve in 2021, Simpson took to social media to post a video in which he revealed that he previously owned two pet Abyssinian cats Bugsy and Sashi who “liked to hunt and normally they’d be in my backyard going through a lot of drama with these mockingbirds in this willow tree of mine but one day we couldn’t find (one of them,).”
Simpson and his children were understandably upset and were about to put signs up in the neighborhood about the missing felines when he got a call from White.
“OJ you’re looking for your kitten? He’s here at the house,” she told him.
Three weeks later, even before Simpson’s family knew that Bugsy had gone missing again, White called them up to say that the cat was at her house. When Simpson went to pick up the feline this time, he asked White, “What is it Betty, do you have catnip on your property? Why is this cat always coming over here?”
“Oh you know, I’m so sweet, cats like me,” she responded.
When Bugsy went missing yet again three months later, Simpson went right to White’s house, but the cat did not appear to be there this time. After a few minutes, however, Simpson heard a “meow” from a tree next to White’s house, and sure enough, it was Bugsy!
“Never understood what that was about,” Simpson said. “I guess she was right, she’s so sweet that the cats just gravitate to her.”
Watch Simpson recount this full story in the video below.
Related: OJ Simpson’s Best Movie And TV Appearances
Simpson’s Death
Simpson’s death was announced by his family on Thursday morning.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” they said in a statement. “He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.”
“During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace. -The Simpson Family,” they added.
Related: OJ Simpson Claims He’s Afraid To Be In Los Angeles Due To Fears Of ‘Sitting Next To Whoever Did It’
White’s Death
As for White, she died on December 31, 2021 weeks before what would have been her 100th birthday.
“Betty passed in her sleep peacefully without pain,” her longtime agent and friend Jeff Witjas told People Magazine at the time. “To me this is the most important thing and brings me comfort as her dear friend. Anything else is private to Betty.”
“It was a mild stroke. She died peacefully in her sleep,” another source added.
While many feel that Simpson got away with murder, White was one of the most beloved figures in Hollywood of all time. One would never expect the two of them to be neighbors, but in the end, it’s easy to see why Simpson’s cats preferred White’s company over his!
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