The video starts with a shot of O.J. Simpson’s open-mouthed grin. As he wanders through a yard, the camera trained a few inches from his face, Simpson begins his narration.
“Hey, Twitter world,” the former football star says, “this is yours truly.”
The introductory video was posted on Simpson’s new Twitter account late Friday — two days after the 25th anniversary of the stabbing deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman.
Soon after the 1994 slayings, police tried to track down the Heisman Trophy winner, who had flown to Chicago and was, at that time, considered a potential witness. A few days later, on the evening of June 17, 1994 — hours after prosecutors charged Simpson with double homicide — he led authorities on a now-famous low-speed chase in his white Bronco.
Simpson was acquitted of murder charges, but a civil jury later found him liable in both deaths, ordering him to pay the victims’ families more than $33 million.
In the video posted Friday, Simpson, 71, said he plans to use his Twitter account to share his thoughts and opinions on “just about everything.”
“I got a little getting even to do,” Simpson said, smirking. “So God bless, take care.”
Simpson’s attorney, Malcolm LaVergne, confirmed in an email that his client created the Twitter account — TheRealOJ32 — as a tool to speak directly to his online audience.
“Like President Trump,” the attorney said, “Mr. Simpson will finally have a medium to clarify the many false and misleading statements and rumors surrounding him over the years and even currently.”
LaVergne didn’t respond to a question about what Simpson meant by his comment about getting even, but added that Simpson, whom he described as “very well read” on substantial issues, plans to use the account to engage with people on different topics, including fantasy football. As of Saturday afternoon, the only tweet Simpson had liked was LaVergne’s message boasting that, after only a few hours on the site, Simpson had secured more than 50,000 followers.
Simpson was granted parole two years ago after serving nine years in prison in connection with a Las Vegas robbery in which the former football player tried to retrieve memorabilia he said belonged to him.
