Everyone knew the ship would sink when they watched Titanic. Everyone knew Anakin would become Darth Vader when they watched Revenge Of The Sith. And, yes, everyone knew that the accused would be acquitted when they started watching The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. But instead of that knowledge removing all of the dramatic tension from of the show, it somehow made things even more tense. Now the moment is here: this Tuesday is the ACS season finale, which means we're about to hear a verdict of "not guilty." But the episode won't end with that verdict. In fact, on the FX series you'll see O.J. Simpson throw a party to celebrate his acquittal.
It seems that this is a case of truth being stranger than fiction, as according to Vanity Fair, such a party did take place. The magazine reported the following quote from Detective Paul Bishop about the night of the verdict.
After the verdict was handed down, the West LAPD — because Rockingham is in our jurisdiction — had to send police units over there to O.J.’s house for crowd control and to protect the estate while they were preparing for a party to celebrate the deaths of two people.
According to Vanity Fair, in attendance at this party were Simpson's mother, Eunice; his friend and lawyer Robert Kardashian; his friend Al Cowlings (aka A.C., the driver in the infamous Bronco chase); author Larry Schiller (who co-wrote Simpson's memoir I Want To Tell You, published earlier that year); and NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer, who had long been a staunch proclaimer of Simpson's innocence. The magazine also reported that unnamed "women in pink pantsuits" attended the party and "waved champagne toasts to the media" that surrounded Simpson's Brentwood mansion.
Speaking of champagne, Det. Bishop claimed that "forty crates" of bubbly were hauled into the party over the course of the night while guests arrived in Rolls-Royces and limousines. The Vanity Fair report makes note of the fact that Bishop's "disgust for the assignment sounded in his voice and showed on his face" as he recounted these details.
There were additional reports of such a party taking place after the verdict was announced. According to the NY Daily News, "Family and friends partied into the night. But sources said O.J., in his mansion for the first time in months, was disoriented — and was disturbed by the helicopters that were buzzing overhead." The Los Angeles Times described the day Simpson returned home similarly, reporting, "As night fell, crowds of well-wishers and detractors gathered beyond police barricades while the Simpson entourage partied inside the famous home."
However, the celebration may have been premature. As reported by the New York Times, in 1997 Simpson was found liable in civil court for the deaths of Brown Simpson and Goldman and ordered to pay $33.5 million in punitive and compensatory damages to their families. Then in 2007, Simpson was convicted of armed robbery, kidnapping, and 10 additional charges for an unrelated incident, as reported by CNN. Simpson appealed for a new trial in 2015 but was denied and is currently serving a nine to 33-year sentence, according to NBC.
Simpson will be eligible for parole in October 2017, according to ABC, so we may soon find out how he will or won't celebrate being released again.
