The world didn't need another reason to talk about O.J. Simpson in 2006. By then, the "Trial of the Century" felt like a fever dream from a different era. But then, rumors of a book started swirling. Not just any book. A "hypothetical" confession. It was called OJ Simpson If I Did It, and honestly, it was probably the most hated piece of media in American history before it even hit a single shelf.
People were livid. You've got to remember the climate back then; the 1995 acquittal was still a gaping wound for many. When news broke that Simpson was essentially "confessing" to the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman—under the thin veil of "fiction"—the backlash was instant and total. News Corporation, which owned the original publisher ReganBooks, got hit with a wave of disgust so strong they pulled the plug and pulped 400,000 copies.
But the book didn't stay dead. It couldn't.
The Bizarre Rebirth of a "Confession"
So, how did a cancelled book end up becoming a New York Times bestseller? It wasn't because O.J. won. It was because the Goldman family saw a way to finally collect on that $33.5 million civil judgment that Simpson had been dodging for a decade.
In 2007, a bankruptcy court in Florida handed the rights to the manuscript over to the Goldmans. They didn't want to help O.J. tell his story. They wanted to use his own words to hang him in the court of public opinion. They renamed it If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.
They even messed with the cover design. If you look at it, the word "If" is shrunk down so small it’s practically invisible inside the "I." It looks like it just says I Did It. Kinda brilliant, in a dark way.
What’s actually inside the pages?
The book isn't just about the murders. In fact, most of it is O.J. rambling about his life.
- The Marriage: He spends a lot of time painting himself as a long-suffering husband and Nicole as the "troubled" one. It’s classic victim-blaming.
- The "Charlie" Character: This is the weirdest part. O.J. introduces a mysterious friend named "Charlie" who supposedly showed up at his house and told him Nicole was "partying."
- The Night of the Murder: In Chapter 6, the "hypothetical" part, he describes going to the condo to "scare" Nicole. He brings a knife. He brings the gloves.
Then things get blurry. He writes about a "blackout" or a moment where he "regained consciousness" and saw the bodies. He claims he "knew what happened, but I can’t tell you how." It's chilling because it's so specific about the lead-up, then conveniently vague about the blood.
Why the Ghostwriter Thinks He’s Guilty
Pablo Fenjves, the man who actually wrote the words based on O.J.'s interviews, hasn't been shy about his feelings. He was actually a witness for the prosecution during the 1995 trial—he was the neighbor who heard the "plaintive wail" of the dog.
Fenjves has said that Simpson was deeply involved in the process. He didn't just sign off on it; he read the manuscript three times. According to Fenjves, O.J. "exploded" when the writer told him he thought he was guilty. But why write a book that makes you look like a killer? Money. Pure and simple. Simpson’s daughter, Arnelle, originally pitched the idea as a way to create a "financial legacy" for the family because O.J.’s NFL pension was protected but his other income was not.
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The Legal Loopholes and Blood Money
The legal drama surrounding OJ Simpson If I Did It is almost as complex as the trial itself. You see, O.J. had moved to Florida specifically because the laws there made it almost impossible for creditors (like the Goldmans) to seize his home or his pension. He was basically living a comfortable life while "broke" on paper.
When the Goldmans took over the book, a weird deal had to be made. To get the rights, they actually had to agree that 10% of the proceeds would go to helping O.J. reduce his bankruptcy debt. It’s a bitter pill. But the rest of the money? That went to the Ron Goldman Foundation for Justice and other charities.
The Brown family, Nicole’s relatives, were less enthusiastic. Denise Brown called for a boycott. She didn't want the kids—Sydney and Justin—to have to see a "step-by-step manual" of their mother's death. It created a rift between the two families who had once stood together against O.J.
The 2018 "Lost Confession"
For years, people wondered if there was more. In 2018, Fox aired O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession?, which featured an interview with Judith Regan from back in 2006. In that footage, O.J. is shockingly relaxed. He laughs. He uses the first person when describing the "hypothetical" events before catching himself and saying "if."
Seeing him describe the "blood everywhere" while smiling is something you can't unsee. It reinforced what the Goldmans had been saying all along: the book wasn't fiction. It was a taunt.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often think O.J. wrote every word himself. He didn't. He's a storyteller, not a writer. He sat in hotel rooms in Florida and talked into a recorder.
Another misconception is that the book "proves" he did it legally. It doesn't. Because of Double Jeopardy, O.J. could have walked into a police station with the book and a signed confession, and he still couldn't have been tried again for those specific murders. He knew he was safe. That’s what makes the book so predatory. It was a man who knew he’d "gotten away with it" trying to get paid for the story.
Key Facts About the Publication
- Original Publisher: ReganBooks (HarperCollins)
- Revised Publisher: Beaufort Books
- Ghostwriter: Pablo Fenjves
- Key Addition: The Goldman version includes 14,000 words of commentary from the victims' families and experts.
Honestly, reading it now feels like looking at a time capsule of 2000s-era celebrity obsession. It’s a messy, uncomfortable, and often disgusting book. But it’s also a piece of legal history. It shows how far a family will go to get a shred of justice when the system fails them.
If you’re looking to understand the case, don't just read O.J.'s chapters. Read the prologue by Kim Goldman. Read the introduction by the legal team. That’s where the real story is—not in the "hypothetical" ramblings of a man who spent his life trying to outrun the truth.
Next Steps for Researching the Case:
- Read the Goldman Edition: If you want the full context, ensure you get the Beaufort Books version titled If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer. It includes the necessary rebuttals that the original version lacked.
- Watch the 2018 Fox Special: Search for The Lost Confession? to see the physical cues and "slip-ups" O.J. made during the promotional interview.
- Review the Civil Trial Transcripts: To see why he was found liable, look at the evidence that wasn't allowed in the criminal trial, such as the Bruno Magli shoe photos.