Cuba Gooding Jr. Gives A Message To Nicole Brown’s Family After Portraying O.J. Simpson


Cuba Gooding Jr. had some words for the family of Nicole Brown. The actor, who takes a huge leap from his other work on screen, portrayed O.J. Simpson, the ex-husband of Nicole Brown and who many suspect killed Brown despite his not guilty verdict in 1995.

When O.J. Simpson, one of the most successful faces of football, involved himself in a car chase in his white Bronco with the police, America was mesmerized, and that extended to the subsequent trial he eventually faced. From his team of lawyers to the judge, everyone involved in the process became a character that you were either rooting for or against. That said, it’s not a surprise to see why this would be turned into a miniseries.

Gooding Jr., who takes on the role of O.J. Simpson in the miniseries The People v. O.J. Simpson, was asked by E! Online if he had a message for Nicole Brown’s family as well as Ron Goldman, who was also brutally murdered. Gooding Jr. was understandably very sensitive and empathetic about the matter.

“I just hope that they find some peace because I can’t imagine what they’re going through. You know, when I signed on to this project, it was because Ryan Murphy was doing it and I want to work with real filmmakers and that first and foremost was my reasoning for accepting this role.”

Cuba Gooding Jr. continued and surprisingly revealed a tidbit that no one saw coming — this isn’t the first time he was offered to portray O.J. Simpson.

“Prior to this offering, I had an offer to do a film based on O.J.’s innocence and I passed. So, here I am. So, I don’t pretend to try to understand what any of this means to either the Goldmans or the Browns, but I’m an actor. I was asked to do a role. Hopefully I brought some truth to it and that will help in the process of understanding the circus that was this time in America.”

The 1995 trial also spoke to the race relations going on in America and how the trial was so polarizing to people. Back then, the New York Times reported that “issues of racism erupts” during the Simpson trial.

“Mr. Simpson was moved to tears at one point as his lawyer, Johnnie L. Cochran, defended his interracial marriage to Nicole Brown Simpson after a prosecutor suggested that Mr. Simpson had a ‘fetish’ for ‘blond-hair white women.'”

During the trial, race came into play when a Caucasian detective’s evidence was being disputed over whether or not it should be introduced into the trial due to the detective’s reported “racist attitudes toward blacks.”

“Regarding race and how it has become an issue in the Simpson case, Judge Ito added, ‘This is the one remaining unresolved problem of our society, and for those of us who grew up in the 60’s and had hoped this was going to go away, it’s a big disappointment.'”

As for the upcoming depiction of the trial, the Brown family has already spoken out against the miniseries.

Brown’s sister Tanya spoke with Dr. Phil on Monday to discuss her feelings about the upcoming miniseries. Nicole’s sister addressed the actors in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.

“[John] Travolta, [David] Schwimmer, Cuba Gooding [Jr.], shame on you guys. You should have called the families.”

The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story airs on Tuesday, February 2 on FX.

[Photo by FX]

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