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Simpson: Book deal was 'blood money'

By ERIC DEGGANS
Published November 23, 2006

In his first broadcast interview since news of his controversial book If I Did It became public, O.J. Simpson told listeners of a Miami radio station Wednesday morning that he never intended the volume to be a confession of guilt.

Calling in to WTPS-AM, Simpson said he was approached to do the book, described by publisher ReganBooks as a hypothetical look at how his late ex-wife Nicole Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman might have been killed in 1994. Judith Regan, head of the Harper-Collins imprint, also has described it as Simpson's confession.

On Wednesday, Simpson said he agreed to the book because he needed the money. He wouldn't say what he was paid, only that it was less than the $3.5-million that has been reported.

"Of course I got paid. I spent the money on my bills," he said on the radio station. "It's gone. ... I have a right to earn money if I can earn money. I don't know why everybody is so confused about this."

In an interview with the Associated Press, Simpson called the book payment "blood money."

"My kids understand. I made it clear that it's blood money, but it's no different than any of the other writers who did books on this case," he said.

'Nothing to confess'

Amid public criticism over the book, which was to have been released Nov. 30, preceded by a two-part Fox TV special, both the book and the special were shelved on Monday by News Corp., which owns both Fox TV and ReganBooks.

Simpson said Regan's company initially proposed a fictionalized book closer to recent novels written by California Sen. Barbara Boxer and reality TV star Nicole Ritchie, in which "the names were changed, but you pretty much knew who they were talking about." When the ghostwriter showed up with orders from Regan to write a confessional, Simpson said, he nearly scuttled the deal.

"I said 'Confess what? I've got nothing to confess,' " said Simpson, responding to a question from a St. Petersburg Times reporter who called the radio program. "Everyone went back and forth and by the end of the day they had come up with this idea, it's going to be this word 'hypothetical.' "

Simpson said the material in the book dealing with the crime only fills about half of the sixth chapter, centered on a fictional character named Charlie; he also said the book's title, which skirts the question of his guilt, was Regan's idea. A News Corp. spokesman said the company has requested that booksellers return all existing copies of the book, which will be destroyed.

"Charlie came out of the fact that I've always felt two people had to be involved - even though the prosecution said one and one murderer only," he said, noting that the ghostwriter penned the book on his own after interviewing Simpson. "By the time I saw (the book) somebody had leaked something and the National Enquirer had said only the real murderer could know these facts. So I called the writer and said 'You did it,' " Simpson joked.

More legal action

News of the radio interview surprised Indianapolis lawyer Jonathan G. Polak, who has represented the Goldman family over the past year.

"When you're dealing with somebody who is a narcissistic sociopath, anything is possible," said Polak. He said he was "100 percent certain" the family would take legal action soon to try accessing Simpson's recent income. In 1997, a civil court ordered Simpson to pay the Goldman and Brown families $33.5-million in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Although Simpson's former sister-in-law Denise Brown said News Corp. offered her family millions of dollars in proceeds from the If I Did It project as "hush money," Polak insisted the Goldman family told the company no amount of money would buy their silence.

"I don't know what conversations Denise Brown had with News Corp ... but they did not require the (Goldman) family to be silent," said Polak, noting that News Corp. called him over the weekend to discuss terms. "I made it very clear to them that in no way would their attempt to undo the monster they created silence the Goldmans. And the complete outrage from the American people gave News Corp. no option."

Concerned that News Corp. will sell the book rights to another publisher, Polak has asked News Corp. to turn over the rights to the book and TV footage to the Goldmans, setting a deadline of noon Wednesday.

From jokes to anger

During his appearance on the black-oriented talk radio station Wednesday, Simpson veered from a jovial, joking manner to angry rants, taking questions from callers who were mostly complimentary and supportive. "I'm glad you were acquitted," said one man, identified as Ed. "I see you as an innocent man."

Simpson disputed claims that he has money in offshore accounts or that he is required to hand the surviving families every penny he earns.

Now living in a Miami suburb, Simpson, 59, also talked of attending games of his former team, the Buffalo Bills, and says he received a warm welcome from current players and fans.

And even though he insisted the opinion of the wider world didn't bother him, Simpson grew most agitated when speaking of the fallout from constant criticism by the Goldman family.

"I used to feel sorry for them, but guess what? ... I feel sorry for the body bags that I see coming to this local area from Iraq," he said. "You can only feel sorry for one family so long. There's been a lot of deaths, a lot of unsolved murders, a lot of tragedy in America in the last 12 years. Goldmans and them, they got to stop being professional victims."

Simpson told the AP he deserved to be criticized for the book deal, but so does News Corp. owner Rupert Murdoch who "should not be taking the high road, either."

Polak said Simpson's case has already been decided in the court of public opinion.

"Whether this book ever was published or not, we know he did it," the attorney said. "Everybody knows he did it. And this just confirms it. He can deny it until the day he dies. But we all know better."

Eric Deggans can be reached at deggans@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8521. See his blog at blogs.tampabay.com/media.

[Last modified November 23, 2006, 00:05:40]