OJ Simpson And The Menendez Brothers Shared an Unlikely Bond in Jail: "I Never Thought..."

Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of child abuse and sexual assault that some readers may find distressing.

The Menendez brothers (Erik and Lyle), who were sentenced to jail for the murder of their parents, were shockingly close to another inmate inside the jail. The high-profile person was none other than O. J. Simpson. The trio struck a close friendship back in 1994 after the infamous footballer was stationed in a cell next to the brothers. The Menendez brothers, who infamously shot their parents Kitty and Jose to death in 1989, were also jailed in L.A. County Men’s Central Jail.

According to Esquire, in an interview with Larry King, Erik recalled the day Simpson was set to live in the cell next to him. "I was watching the chase on television, that infamous chase. And they had me clean out his cell a few days ahead of time. They knew he was coming to jail…before he even knew," he said. The two then became temporary neighbors and Erik called him an 'upbeat, charming person.' Reminiscing the first time he saw the NFL player, he shared that Simpson was chained and shackled before being placed in the room adjacent to him.

But the Menendez brothers didn't meet him in jail for the first time. Their father, Jose Menendez, who was an executive at Hertz Car Rentals, had met Simpsons earlier as he was the face of the brand back then. The football icon was also invited by Jose to their home and had met with his sons. According to People, Lyle revealed in 2017, "O.J. Simpson came over to our house several times. I certainly never thought that we’d be later meeting in prison, facing murder charges." In their tell-all book, The Menendez Murders, Lyle also told the author that he suggested Simpson confess the truth. 

The author Robert Rand revealed in the book The Menendez Murders how the friendship between the brothers and Simpson blossomed in the detention center, as per A&E. Erik shared that Simpson wasn't doing well inside and was delusional in believing that he would be out within three weeks. Erik wrote him a letter as well. "‘This is his life,’ I said. ‘When you cry—remember those tears. Hold them because you’re crying for your children, you’re crying for everything you’re losing… Remember who’s doing it to you and fight—continue to fight. You’ve got to start to worry about your life, not your reputation.’" Sometime later, Simpson became a good friend and would wink and smile at them whenever he passed their cell. 

However, this friendship didn't really help the brothers in their trial. The player was deemed innocent and not guilty by the court, but everything regarding his case had been given wide coverage by the media. In the documentary, The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All, Erik revealed that this affected their case badly. "There was this sense that an extreme injustice had happened. And now we’re gonna have to right it with every defendant that comes up. We were the next defendant," he said, as reported by Tyla. 

If you know of any children who are being subjected to abuse, please contact The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at (800) 422-4453.

If you are being subjected to sexual assault, or know of anyone who is, please call The National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673).