Before the world knew Kim’s name or Kris Jenner’s "momager" empire, there was just a tight-knit circle of friends in Los Angeles. It was the 1970s. O.J. Simpson was the biggest star in the world, and Robert Kardashian was his closest confidant. They weren't just business partners; they were brothers.
Honestly, the connection between O.J. Simpson and the Kardashian family is the real "patient zero" for modern celebrity culture. Without that 1995 trial, the most famous family on the planet might still be just another wealthy clan in Encino.
How O.J. Simpson and Robert Kardashian Actually Met
It didn’t start in a courtroom. It started on a tennis court in 1969. Robert Kardashian was a young lawyer and businessman, and O.J. was the Heisman-winning superstar from USC. They clicked instantly. By the time O.J. met Nicole Brown in 1977, Robert was right there by his side.
The two families were inseparable. We're talking shared vacations in Cabo San Lucas and Easter egg hunts. The Kardashian kids—Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe—grew up calling him "Uncle O.J." and his wife "Auntie Nicole." It was a suburban dream until it turned into a nightmare on June 12, 1994.
The Trial That Split a Family
When Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were found murdered, the Kardashian household didn't just feel the shock—they literally split in half. Kris Jenner was best friends with Nicole. She was devastated. Robert, on the other hand, chose loyalty.
He hadn't practiced law in over two decades. His license was inactive. But when his best friend was accused of double murder, Robert reactivated that license to join the "Dream Team." He wasn't the lead litigator—that was Johnnie Cochran and Robert Shapiro—but he was the "liaison." He was the one O.J. trusted when the cameras were off.
Kris Jenner later described this time as "devastating." She’d sit on the prosecution side of the courtroom, mourning her friend, while her ex-husband sat just feet away, defending the man she believed killed her. Imagine the tension at the dinner table. Kim and Kourtney were teenagers then, often caught between a father they idolized and a mother who was grieving.
The Mystery of the Garment Bag
One of the most debated moments in the O.J. Simpson saga involves a piece of luggage. On June 13, 1994—the day after the murders—O.J. returned to Los Angeles from Chicago. Television cameras captured Robert Kardashian carrying a bulging Louis Vuitton garment bag from O.J.’s house.
People still talk about that bag. Prosecutors speculated it contained the murder weapon or bloody clothes. Because Robert was O.J.’s lawyer, he could never be forced to testify about it. Attorney-client privilege is a powerful thing. The bag was eventually entered into evidence months later, but by then, it was empty.
"I know O.J. better than anyone on the legal team," Robert told the Los Angeles Times in 1994. "My job is really strategy and liaison."
Did Robert Kardashian Think He Was Innocent?
This is where it gets complicated. At the start, Robert seemed like a true believer. He even let O.J. stay in his house to avoid the media. It’s where that famous, or infamous, suicide threat happened—right in Kim (or Khloe’s, depending on who you ask) bedroom.
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But by the end of the "Trial of the Century," something shifted. If you watch the footage of the verdict being read, look at Robert’s face. He doesn't look like a man who just won. He looks stunned. Grey. Almost sick.
In a 1996 interview with Barbara Walters, Robert finally admitted the truth. He said he had "doubts." The blood evidence was the "thorn in his side." He couldn't reconcile the DNA with his friend's denials. He and O.J. basically stopped speaking after the trial. Robert died of esophageal cancer in 2003, and they never truly mended that fence.
Those Persistent Khloe Rumors
We have to address it because everyone does: the theory that O.J. Simpson is Khloe Kardashian's biological father. It’s been a tabloid staple for years. Both Kris Jenner and O.J. himself (before he passed in 2024) repeatedly denied it.
Khloe has been open about the pain these rumors caused, but she’s always maintained that Robert Kardashian is her father, end of story. In 2012, she even refused a DNA test on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, saying she didn't need a piece of paper to tell her who her family was.
The Lasting Legacy of the Connection
The O.J. Simpson trial changed the way we consume news. It was the birth of the 24-hour news cycle and "infotainment." For the Kardashians, it was the first time their name was a household word.
Robert Kardashian was a private man who was suddenly the most famous lawyer in America. That proximity to fame, the cameras, and the drama arguably paved the way for the reality TV era. Kim Kardashian has even said the trial taught her how the media works—how they "lie" and how stories are framed.
Actionable Insights for History Buffs
If you're looking to understand the real history here beyond the TikTok clips, there are a few things you should do:
- Watch the 1996 Barbara Walters interview with Robert Kardashian. It’s the only time he really opens up about his doubts.
- Read "The Run of His Life" by Jeffrey Toobin. It’s arguably the most detailed account of the trial and the "Dream Team" dynamics.
- Look at the trial through a 2026 lens. We often forget how much the technology of the time—or lack thereof—shaped the outcome.
The story of O.J. Simpson and the Kardashians isn't just a true crime tale. It's a story about the limits of friendship and the high cost of loyalty. It shows how one event can fracture a family and, oddly enough, build a multi-billion dollar brand at the same time.
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To understand why the public remains obsessed with this connection, look at the archival footage of the white Bronco chase. Robert was on the phone, trying to talk O.J. down. That level of intimacy is rare, and the fallout was permanent.