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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →O.J. Simpson’s brain was not examined for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), so whether he had the disease is unknown. His estate attorney told The Associated Press that Simpson had expressed his wishes to his children, who would act on those wishes. The available reporting does not establish a more specific reason for the decision.
What Simpson’s attorney said about the decision
Simpson died on April 10, 2024, aged 76, after a prostate cancer diagnosis. His attorney, Malcolm LaVergne, told the Associated Press that Simpson wanted to be cremated and said: “Mr. Simpson, to my understanding, had expressed his wishes to his children.” LaVergne added, “And so they are going to act upon those wishes.” Associated Press report.
That is the explanation attributed to the attorney. The reporting does not establish further details of the family’s private discussions, and it does not support claims that the decision was intended to conceal a diagnosis or protect Simpson’s legacy.
Did O.J. Simpson have CTE?
It is unknown. No postmortem examination of Simpson’s brain was performed to determine whether it showed CTE pathology. His football career or public behavior cannot establish whether he had the disease.
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What an examination can—and cannot—show
CTE diagnosis requires examination of brain tissue
The NINDS/NIBIB consensus paper says: “At the present time, CTE remains a diagnosis that can only be made definitively upon neuropathological examination of the brain.” Its criteria describe a distinctive lesion involving abnormal hyperphosphorylated tau in neurons and astroglia around small blood vessels, especially at the depths of cortical sulci. NINDS/NIBIB consensus criteria.
Researchers examining tissue can assess whether CTE pathology is present in the examined brain and may identify other neurological disease. Such findings would not, by themselves, prove that CTE caused a particular action or historical event. Boston University’s CTE Center says it shares diagnostic evaluation results with the legal next of kin. BU CTE Center brain bank.
TES is a clinical assessment, not a definitive CTE diagnosis
During life, clinicians may assess traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) using clinical criteria. TES describes a syndrome considered in people with a history of repetitive head impacts; it does not confirm the postmortem brain pathology required for a definitive CTE diagnosis. Consensus research criteria for TES.
How brain donation for CTE research works
Donation is a separate, time-sensitive process, not an examination that researchers can undertake without authorization. Boston University’s CTE Center says a legal next of kin or medical examiner can authorize an autopsy through its program. Its guidance describes next-of-kin consent by phone, followed by written informed consent after death. These are the center’s program procedures, not a universal statement of state law. BU CTE Center donation guidance.
- BU says its study covers donation expenses; the family remains responsible for funeral expenses.
- The center gathers family interviews about athletic and concussion history, medical history, and cognitive, behavioral, motor, and mood symptoms.
- Findings are de-identified unless the family authorizes public identification.
These procedures show how donation can contribute to research, but they do not imply that researchers were entitled to Simpson’s brain or that his family was obligated to donate it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the brain bank’s numbers mean
Boston University’s CTE Center reported that its UNITE Brain Bank held more than 1,700 brains, including over 800 diagnosed with CTE, on the center’s current page accessed October 8, 2026. Those are bank holdings and diagnosis counts—not estimates of how common CTE is among NFL players, football players generally, or the public. BU CTE Center brain bank.
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