Kim Kardashian Broke Down During Her Last Encounter with O.J. Simpson: "We Ran..."

O.J. Simpson's passing on April 10, from cancer, reignited discussions about his infamous 1995 murder trial and the impact it had on those around him. Among them was Kim Kardashian, who, despite being only 12 years old when the trial began, was deeply affected by the case and its aftermath. Kim’s late father, Robert Kardashian Sr., was a key member of OJ’s defense team, while her mother, Kris Jenner, was best friends with Nicole Brown Simpson, O.J.’s ex-wife who was murdered. This created a unique and challenging family dynamics for the Kardashian family during and after the trial.

While Kim has largely avoided discussing her relationship with OJ, she once shared a rare and emotional anecdote during a 2019 episode of her friend, Jonathan Cheban's podcast, FoodGod: OMFG. Kim revealed, “I think the last time I saw him was in Miami. It was before he had gone to jail [for] this, you know, last situation…I think me, Kourtney and Khloé were in Miami in a club, and we ran into him in the VIP section. It was behind a stage or something, I don’t even know what club it was at. I started crying. It was emotional, I think,” as reported by She Knows.

Despite the signifcant impact the encounter had, Kim chose not to dwell on the subject out of respect for OJ’s and Nicole’s children. The Simpson trial fractured the Kardashian family. Kim has often spoken about the opposing views her parents shared at the time. She remarked, "My mom was extremely vocal on her feelings— she believed that her friend was murdered by him and that was really traumatizing for her. And then we'd go to my dad's house and it was a whole other situation there…It tore my family apart…” as reported by People magazine.

For Jenner, the trial represented an unfortunate personal loss. In 2009, she told Dr. Phil that she mourned not only Nicole but also her friendship with OJ, whom she had once considered a close friend. Despite the pain, the Kardashian family resolved to stay united. Although Kim typically avoids discussing OJ, she did reference him in her 2021 Saturday Night Live monologue, quipping, “It’s because of him that I met my first Black person…Want to take a stab in the dark at who it was? I know it’s sort of weird to remember the first Black person you met, but O.J. does leave a mark. Or several. Or none at all, I still don’t know!”

The humor was met with mixed reactions, including criticism from Nicole’s sister, Tanya, who called it 'in poor taste.' OJ’s died at the age of 76 surrounded by family. The former NFL star was acquitted of murder charges but was found liable in a civil trial and ordered to pay $33.5 million to the victims’ families.