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What was planned for 2006?
In November 2006, ReganBooks, an imprint of HarperCollins, announced a book by O. J. Simpson titled If I Did It, alongside a Fox television special. Contemporary reports said the two-part interview was scheduled for November 27 and 29, with the book due November 30. The publisher’s framing presented Simpson’s account as hypothetical; the title and promotion sparked immediate controversy. That framing should not be mistaken for an adjudicated confession.
![If I Did It: Confession of the Killer: Written by OJ Simpson, 2007 Edition, (First) Publisher: Gibson Square [Hardcover]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41ldWUv38mL._SL160_.jpg)
The planned release became a major public dispute. The Los Angeles Times reported that HarperCollins had sought bookseller orders without identifying the author or subject, leaving some booksellers feeling misled. Amazon removed the listing and said it would cancel prepublication orders.
Why was the book canceled?
There was no single documented cause. Public outrage over the proposed book and television special coincided with commercial resistance. News Corp. abandoned both projects amid opposition from Fox affiliates and advertisers; bookseller objections to the concealed identity of the book also added pressure. Contemporary coverage describes an ethical controversy and a business retreat happening together, rather than a cancellation attributable to one factor alone.
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The Los Angeles Times’ account covers the bookseller response and the withdrawal. CBS/AP reported on the canceled book and television plan, including the proposed broadcast and publication dates. The cancellation stopped the 2006 release; it did not erase the manuscript or resolve who would ultimately control its rights.
How did the Goldman family obtain the rights?
The later publication followed a separate legal and financial path. In March 2007, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ordered Simpson’s rights, title, and interest in the unpublished book auctioned, with revenues and compensation under the book deal directed to the Goldman family. The Los Angeles Times reported on that order.
In July 2007, the Goldmans obtained the rights from a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee in a settlement, according to The Washington Post. Later reporting described a federal bankruptcy judge awarding the rights to the family. The cancellation and the transfer were distinct events: the first ended the planned 2006 commercial release, while the subsequent proceedings determined who could publish the existing work.
What changed in the Goldman family’s edition?
The Goldman family retitled the work If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer and published an edition that included commentary from the family. A library catalog record identifies the edition as containing exclusive Goldman-family commentary. The revised title and added commentary changed the way the work was presented; the edition was the same underlying manuscript, not a separate book by Simpson.
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Publication listings do not align perfectly on the precise issue date. Google Books lists a Beaufort Books edition dated April 1, 2008, and describes it as 240 pages; contemporary accounts place the family’s acquisition and publication history in 2007 and afterward. Those records support the broad sequence, but not a single uncontested date for every edition or release milestone.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the two publication stages differed
| Stage | Publisher or rights holder | Title and framing | Commentary | Status and intended beneficiary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planned 2006 release | ReganBooks/HarperCollins planned the publication; the rights later became subject to court and bankruptcy proceedings. | If I Did It; the publisher planned to present Simpson’s account as hypothetical. | No family commentary is identified in accounts of the proposed edition. | Canceled before publication after public backlash and commercial resistance; the 2006 release did not proceed. |
| Goldman family edition | The Goldman family obtained the rights through the bankruptcy process. | If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer. | Included Goldman-family commentary. | Published after the rights transfer; the court proceedings directed proceeds and compensation connected to the book deal to the Goldman family. |
The available reporting supports the publication-history account, not a detailed retelling of criminal or civil court findings. The book’s title and framing do not, by themselves, establish what a court found.
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