O.J. Simpson estate auction: Administrator, kids’ attorney clash

A judge did not order an auction of O.J. Simpson’s belongings to be stopped, despite considering the possibility at a Thursday hearing where the special administrator of Simpson’s estate and a lawyer for Simpson’s children traded allegations of wrongdoing.

Simpson, the football star who was acquitted of killing ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, was 76 when he died April 10 from prostate cancer at his house in Las Vegas.

According to court filings and testimony, the auction was scheduled to last from March 12 to March 29 through Goldin Auctions. Goldin’s website lists items that include jerseys, photos, footballs and a Bible Simpson’s administrator said attorney Robert Kardashian gave Simpson after his arrest.

Special administrator Malcolm LaVergne has taken the position estate property needs to be liquidated and has said estate debts greatly exceed assets.

The estate is valued at about $328,000, according to a March 7 inventory, but Simpson owed money to the IRS and to the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Goldman, who were awarded a $33.5 million judgment against him by a jury in 1997. Goldman’s father, Fred Goldman, has sought $117 million from the estate.

Items belong to kids, lawyer says

Attorney Jack Juan, representing Simpson’s children Justin and Arnelle Simpson, argued that some of the things being sold at auction actually belong to his clients.

“We have these items, personal items, that will now be available to the public, to TMZ, that belong to my client,” Juan said. “How would you like it, your honor, if your baby pictures were being sold?”

District Judge Jessica Peterson said Simpson’s children should be entitled to have their pictures.

“If you were to pass away, I’m sure you wouldn’t want your children’s baby pictures to be sold to some third party,” Peterson said to Adam Trippiedi, who represents LaVergne. “You would probably want your children to have them.”

LaVergne said after court the auction may include photos of the children, but that he wasn’t sure. One lot, with over 1,000 items, appears to include personal photos.

Juan also told the court Simpson’s estate was late filing an inventory and argued LaVergne should be removed from his role as administrator.

Peterson had ordered in August that LaVergne had the authority to auction Simpson’s possessions. She said it was problematic Simpson’s estate started the auction process when the inventory was not complete.

LaVergne ultimately took the witness stand and made his own claims.

Auction can continue

Some of Simpson’s property has gone missing, he said.

“There’s a Hall of Fame ring that these two know where it’s at, they know what’s going on with it, they have it,” he said, apparently referring to Simpson’s children. “That Hall of Fame ring from O.J. Simpson is probably worth more than anything we’re going to get out of this estate times three, maybe more. They walked off with it.”

Arnelle Simpson shook her head as LaVergne made his allegation about the ring.

He added: “They have really dishonored their father with their conduct.”

Juan objected. Peterson sustained the objection. LaVergne apologized.

The judge toyed with stopping the auction to let Simpson’s children go through the items and determine what belonged to them, but ultimately did not do so.

She said the auction can continue, as long as sales are not finalized until she holds another hearing, and told the lawyers to figure out which items are in dispute.

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.