The executor of O.J. Simpson’s estate is walking back comments he made last week indicating that he would try to prevent the payout of a $33.5 million judgment awarded by a civil jury after the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on Monday, attorney Malcolm LaVergne took on a much more subdued and cooperative tone regarding the pending civil judgment.
“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 told THR.
His remarks were in stark contrast to comments he made last week to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. In that interview, LaVergne said, “It’s my hope that the Goldmans get zero, nothing. Them specifically. And I will do everything in my capacity as the executor or personal representative to try and ensure that they get nothing.”
Simpson, who was acquitted of murder charges in the June 1994 deaths of his ex-wife and her friend Goldman, a waiter, died April 10 in the Las Vegas area from prostate cancer.
Simpson was found liable for the deaths in a civil trial in Santa Monica in 1997 and ordered to pay $33.5 million. The families have said that Simpson was not cooperative in the years after the civil verdict, and much of that judgment is believed to have never been paid. With accruing interest, the outstanding amount has likely grown to roughly $100 million.
LaVergne told THR that his initial remarks aimed at the Goldman’s “were pretty harsh,” and said he is now “going in the other direction.” He said his initial response was due primarily to anger directed at the Goldmans’ attorneys.
He said he now plans to be “hypertransparent” with the families of Brown Simpson and Goldman.
“I’m going to show my homework before I even have to give it to the courts and see what we can do in terms of getting this estate in order,” LaVergne told THR.
The attorney told the publication that Simpson’s remains will be cremated, and no funeral is planned, although a celebration of life gathering will be held at some point.
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“If and when it takes place, it is intended to be limited to family and friends,” he told THR.
According to LaVergne, Simpson’s will places his property into a trust, and its total value has not yet been determined.
LaVergne said Simpson was diagnosed with prostate cancer several years ago, and that it had gone into remission before recently returning.