After O.J. Simpson’s death made headlines last week, comedian Ruby Wax spoke to The Times about her BBC interview with the former NFL player and recalled him pretending to stab her with a banana.
Simpson, who was acquitted of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in 1995 stayed out of the public eye for a while after that trial. In 1998 his interview with Max brought him back into the spotlight, and many people were questioning his motives for agreeing to sit down for the interview. While reflecting on the interview Wax wrote in an April 13 article for The Times that Simpson knocked on her hotel room door in Los Angeles and made “stabbing motions with a banana held above his head while screeching.”
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“I wasn’t scared,” Wax wrote. “I just thought he was insane. I also immediately thought this was very good television.” Wax also wrote in the article that Simpson’s agent, Mike Gilbert told her that he liked to joke around with things like that because he was really into horror films. She also added that after filming their interview Simpson called her and said, “Hi, it’s O.J. I did it.” Simpson then claimed his statement was an April Fools’ joke and hung up, Wax wrote.
During the interview, Simpson discussed his life after the trial, his thoughts on the criminal justice system, and his relationship with his children. He also addressed the rumors and speculation that have surrounded him since the trial, including the persistent rumors that he was involved in the murders of his ex-wife and her friend.
Max, known for her hard-hitting interviews and no-nonsense approach to journalism, did not shy away from asking Simpson the tough questions. She pressed him on his actions leading up to the trial, his alibi on the night of the murders, and his controversial book “If I Did It,” in which he hypothetically describes how he would have committed the murders.
The interview has been met with mixed reactions from the public. Some praise Max for her tough questioning and for holding Simpson accountable for his actions, while others criticize her for giving a platform to a man who has been accused of such heinous crimes.
Since Simpson’s passing his lawyer spoke out and stated that the arrangements for his funeral haven’t been set yet but his family has decided to cremate him.
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The lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne, also spoke to the New York Post and revealed his family gave a “hard no” to scientists who wanted to study Simpson’s brain for CTE which stands for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. It’s a progressive degenerative brain disease found in individuals who have a history of repetitive brain trauma, such as concussions. Symptoms of CTE can include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, and aggression. It is commonly associated with athletes who participate in contact sports, such as football and boxing.
