The O.J. Simpson trial is so packed with odd detours and minutiae that it can often feel like some of it's been made up — but, in reality, the case is a perfect example of the fact that truth will always be stranger than fiction. A prime example is the exercise video that O.J. Simpson recorded a few weeks prior to the Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldsmith's murders. Outtakes from this exercise tape were then used as evidence by the prosecution, according to the Los Angeles Times, which printed a transcription Marcia Clark's statements about the tape. According to her, the tape would "demonstrate just what the defendant's physical capabilities really were on the evening of June the 12th, 1994." But, what did these videos from Simpson's exercise tape show, exactly?
The tape starts out with Simpson introducing himself and talking about the importance of exercise before getting involved in a workout routine of his own. The outtakes, shown during the trial, also feature Simpson speaking directly to the viewer in a non-workout scenario. The clips below give a succinct picture of the video itself, and its value in the trial.
Marcia Clark Introducing The Tape To The Jury
Clark and the prosecution claimed that their intent with the exercise video was to show Simpson's physical prowess, displaying that he allegedly had the ability to commit the crimes in question. However, in the criminal trial, Simpson was acquitted. But, according to The New York Times, he was found guilty in the resulting 1997 civil suit and ordered to pay "$25 million in punitive damages to the families."
Workout Introduction
The workout tape, called "Minimum Maintenence Workout For Men," opens with Simpson talking to the audience, and features a number of interludes where Simpson dispenses advice for living a healthy lifestyle, how to get a good golf swing, and how to maintain stress, which Simpson had a special trick for. "When I'm a little angry or have too much stress ... I sit down, take some deep breaths, and I think of Mount St. Helens," he tells the audience in the above video. "I think of the explosion and all of that energy building up, and I see it exploding and shooting all of the dust and stuff into the air, and I just get all of that energy exploding out of me."
Cardiovascular Workout
This clip, featuring part of the introduction, also carries a portion of a cardiovascular workout routine that was designed with Simpson's fans in mind.
Workout Outtakes
This collection of outtakes shows some of the filmmaking bloopers.
More Outtakes
This outtake reel features some of Simpson's quotes that were subpoenaed for the trial, like, "You just gotta get your space in if you're working out with the wife, if you know what I mean. You can always blame it on, uh, working out," which was said during an exercise that involved an upward punching motion. According to the Chicago Tribune, "Defense lawyer Robert Shapiro argued that the remark proved nothing because it was made with a smile. Judge Lance Ito, however, allowed Simpson's quip into evidence, saying it was relevant to his state of mind."
The clips from the exercise tape provide an interesting insight into the life of Simpson the athlete. While the video didn't make a big splash in the overall case, it serves today as a relic of the trial and evidence as to Simpson's state of mind and body in the weeks leading up to Nicole Brown's death.
Image: Prashant Gupta/FX
