Long before selfies and billion-dollar empires, the Kardashians were just a small part of a much larger story. O. J. Simpson, a fallen football star turned Hollywood actor, found himself embroiled in a high-profile trial for a double murder that captured the nation's attention with a televised car chase. Robert Kardashian, a close friend and lawyer to Simpson, became a central figure in the trial, shining a spotlight on the Kardashian family who were previously not well-known to the public.

Kim Kardashian, still a teenager at the time, witnessed firsthand the impact of fame and media attention. Following Simpson's death at the age of 76 after battling cancer, the Kardashians suddenly found themselves thrust into the news once again. Here's the story behind their rise to fame.

O.J. Simpson's relationship with the Kardashians?

Robert Kardashian, a prominent defence attorney who represented O.J. Simpson, married Kris Jenner in 1978. The couple had four children together:: Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Robert Kardashian Jr. Robert and O. J.'s relationship dates back to the 1970s. After marrying Robert, Kris became the best friend of Simpson’s late ex-wife Brown Simpson.

The double murder trial

In June 1994, O.J. Simpson became embroiled in a double murder charge for the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. Robert Kardashian, who was retired at the time, renewed his attorney license to assist in Simpson's defence. Simpson initially avoided arrest by leading police on a high-profile televised car chase. his incident created a massive rift between Kris and Robert, who were already divorced at the time but remained in touch as good friends.

In 1991 Kris married Caitlyn Jenner who came out to be transgender in 2015. During one of the interviews in 2019, Kim Kardashian said, "My family was always super close except for the time when my dad was representing O.J. and my mom was Nicole's best friend.”

Robert Kardashian’s public fallout

As the trial progressed, Robert Kardashian was brought into the limelight and faced public backlash. Kris Jenner later revealed that the Simpson trial was a major influence on a young Kim Kardashian, who would later start preparing for her career in law.

Few Kardashians loved the Simpsons

In one of her reality TV episodes, Kim Kardashian recalled a time when she and some of the other Kardashian kids celebrated O.J. Simpson's acquittal in 1995 at his home. However, it's worth noting that Simpson was later found responsible for the deaths of the victims in a civil lawsuit filed by their families.

"I definitely took my dad's side," Kim in one of the Rolling Stones interviews said. "We just always thought my dad was the smartest person in the world, and he really believed in his friend." However, recalling those times now she says, “It's weird. I just try not to think about it.”

Was O.J. Simpson Khloé Kardashian's dad?

There was a long-standing rumour that O.J. Simpson might be Khloé Kardashian's father. However, on Father's Day 2019, Simpson addressed and dismissed these conspiracy theories in a video posted on Twitter. He spoke about his relationship with Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner, saying, “Bob Kardashian, he was like a brother to me, was a great guy. He met and married Kris (Jenner) and they really had a terrific time together when they were together, unfortunately, that ended.”

Regarding the Khloé rumour, he clarified, "Khloé, like all the girls, I'm very proud of, just like I know Bob would be if he was here, but the simple facts of the matter are, she's not mine."

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