Let’s be honest, if you’ve spent more than five minutes on the internet in the last decade, you’ve seen the side-by-side photos. One side is a young Khloe Kardashian, and the other is OJ Simpson. People point to the jawline, the height, or the hair texture and say, "See? There it is." It's one of those Hollywood urban legends that just refuses to die, like the "frozen Walt Disney" story or the "Richard Gere and the gerbil" thing. But here’s the thing about this specific rumor: it’s messy, it’s deeply personal, and it’s fueled by a very real history of betrayal within the Kardashian household.
Is OJ Simpson Khloe Kardashian's father? The short answer, according to everyone actually involved, is no. But "no" is a boring answer for a tabloid, isn't it?
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The 1994 Connection That Started It All
To understand why people are still obsessed with this in 2026, you have to look back at the 90s. Robert Kardashian Sr. wasn't just OJ Simpson’s lawyer; he was his best friend. They were incredibly close. Kris Jenner was also best friends with Nicole Brown Simpson. The families vacationed together. They lived in each other's pockets. When the "Trial of the Century" kicked off, the Kardashians were thrust into a spotlight they never really left.
The rumor mill started grinding because Khloe didn't look like Kim or Kourtney. She was taller, had a different build, and lighter hair. When Kris Jenner admitted in her 2011 memoir that she had a "wild" affair during her marriage to Robert, the internet basically exploded. People did the math, looked at the timeline, and jumped to the most dramatic conclusion possible: "It must be OJ."
Actually, Kris did have an affair, but it wasn't with the Juice. She has repeatedly identified her lover as Todd Waterman, a soccer player. But that didn't stop the speculation. Even Robert’s later wives, Jan Ashley and Ellen Pierson, claimed Robert had "doubts" about Khloe’s paternity before he passed away in 2003. It's pretty heavy stuff.
Why the OJ Simpson Paternity Theory Won't Quit
You've probably seen the episode of The Kardashians where Kim buys Robert Sr.’s old Bible at an auction. It was a Bible he’d given to OJ in jail. In a weird, full-circle moment, Kim and Khloe joked right in front of Kris about Khloe having "two dads." They were literally laughing about the OJ rumors.
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Khloe’s sense of humor is her defense mechanism. She’s been called "the OJ daughter" so many times that she basically adopted it as a bit. But behind the jokes, there’s a real history of her feeling like the "odd one out" in her family.
The Evidence (Or Lack Thereof)
If we’re looking at actual facts, the "evidence" for OJ being the father is basically just "vibes" and physical appearance.
- The DNA Tests: Khloe actually took a DNA test on Keeping Up With the Kardashians years ago. It proved she was Middle Eastern (consistent with Robert Sr.'s Armenian heritage).
- OJ’s Own Words: Before he passed away in 2024, OJ was asked about this constantly. He denied it every single time. On the Full Send podcast, he said Kris was a "cute girl" but they never had a thing. He even posted a video on Twitter (now X) saying he was proud of Khloe but that he was definitely not her dad.
- The "Twin" Argument: Recently, Kris Jenner pointed to Khloe’s son, Tatum, as the "ultimate proof." She claims the baby looks exactly like Robert Kardashian Sr. and her son Rob.
It’s kinda wild how much we project onto celebrity faces. Genetics is a lottery. Sometimes you look like your dad, sometimes you look like your great-aunt Martha who no one talks about. Khloe happens to be 5'10" while her sisters are barely 5'2". That alone shouldn't be a paternity test, but in the world of celeb gossip, it's a smoking gun.
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The Human Side of the Rumor
Imagine growing up and having the entire world tell you your dad isn't your dad. That's Khloe's reality. She was 19 when Robert Kardashian Sr. died from esophageal cancer. He was the man who raised her, changed her diapers, and loved her unconditionally. To her, the biology almost doesn't matter.
There was a moment in the Hulu show where Khloe said, "It's proven he's our dad," referring to Robert. She’s made it very clear that she doesn't feel the need to go digging for a different truth. If she's satisfied, why aren't we? Honestly, the obsession says more about our love for a good conspiracy than it does about her actual DNA.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think there’s some secret document locked in a vault somewhere that proves the OJ connection. There isn't. People also think Kris Jenner’s "confession" about her affair was about OJ. It wasn't. It was about Todd Waterman.
Another big one? The idea that Robert Sr. "knew" and that's why he was so distant. By all accounts, he adored Khloe. Even the ex-wives who spilled the tea to magazines admitted that Robert loved her as his own, regardless of any fleeting doubts he might have had during the messy divorce years.
How to Handle the Celebrity Gossip Cycle
It’s easy to get sucked into the "is OJ Simpson Khloe Kardashian's father" rabbit hole. The TikTok edits are convincing. The "evidence" photos are cherry-picked. But if you want to be a savvy consumer of celeb news, you've gotta look at the sources.
- Check the Timeline: Khloe was born in June 1984. Kris and Robert were together. While things were rocky, there's no evidence OJ and Kris were ever "together" in that way.
- Look at the Motivation: Tabloids make money off drama. A "secret love child" sells more copies than "genetically diverse siblings."
- Respect the Boundaries: At the end of the day, Khloe is a person. She’s a mom now. She’s stated her truth, and the man she calls "Dad" is the one buried in Inglewood.
If you’re still curious about the Kardashian family history, the best thing to do is watch the early seasons of their show. Not for the "proof," but to see the genuine bond Khloe had with Robert Sr. It puts a lot of the gossip into perspective. You'll see that the "OJ rumor" is really just a shadow over a very real, very grieving daughter.
Don't let the memes fool you into thinking genetics are a 1:1 map. Sometimes, the simplest explanation—that she’s just a tall Kardashian—is the one that’s actually true.
Next Steps for the Curious:
If you want to dive deeper into the actual history of the Kardashian-Simpson connection without the conspiracy theories, check out the book The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson by Jeffrey Toobin. It gives a much more grounded look at the friendship between Robert and OJ and the reality of the 90s social scene in LA. You can also re-watch the "Who's Your Daddy?" episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians (Season 7, Episode 7) to see exactly how the family addressed the DNA drama when it first peaked.