Publisher Judith Regan said she considered O.J. Simpson’s proposed book and television interview a confession. That was her interpretation—not a direct admission by Simpson. Contemporary reports said he did not admit to the killings, and Simpson rejected both the murder allegation and the confession label.
Why the publisher called it a confession
In a statement published by ABC News on November 17, 2006, Judith Regan described the planned book as a fictional “confession” and explained why she wanted to publish it. Her characterization reflected her view of the project; it did not establish that Simpson had confessed to killing Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
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Regan said she was drawn to the story as someone who had once trusted in romance, family and “the goodness of man.” Her statement explained her personal rationale for the project, not an independent finding about what Simpson had admitted.
Wasn’t it a confession?
Not in the sense of a direct admission to the killings. The Los Angeles Times reported on November 21, 2006, that Regan regarded the interview as Simpson’s confession even though he had not admitted to the murders. Simpson also disputed that description.
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In a radio interview reported by The Irish Times on November 22, 2006, Simpson was asked whether he killed the pair. He replied: “Absolutely not, and I maintained my innocence from day one.” That denial is distinct from Regan’s interpretation of the proposed book and interview.
Why the project was cancelled
News Corp. cancelled the announced book and a planned two-part television interview in November 2006 after a week of public outrage, according to the Los Angeles Times. News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch said in a statement quoted by the newspaper: “I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project.”
How the book was published later
The cancellation did not end the book’s story. In July 2007, a federal bankruptcy judge awarded the Goldman family the book rights, the Associated Press reported. The family later published a renamed edition, (If) I Did It: Confessions of the Killer. The subtitle should not be mistaken for proof that Simpson admitted to the murders.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the criminal and civil cases decided
The criminal and civil outcomes were different. Simpson was acquitted of criminal charges in 1995. In 1997, a civil jury found him liable for the deaths. A civil liability finding is not a criminal conviction, and neither outcome changes what the publisher meant when she described the proposed project as a confession.
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