Nicole Brown Simpson (May 19, 1959 – June 12, 1994) was the German-American ex-wife of retired professional football player and actor O. J. Simpson and the mother of their two children, Sydney and Justin. She was murdered at her home in Los Angeles, California, on June 12, 1994, along with her friend, restaurant waiter Ron Goldman. Simpson was charged with both murders, and after a controversial and highly publicized criminal trial, Simpson was acquitted of all charges, but found liable for both deaths in a civil suit in 1997.

Brown was born on May 19, 1959 in Frankfurt, West Germany^[2][3] to Juditha Anne "Judy" Brown (née Baur, c. 1931) and Louis Hezekiel "Lou" Brown (1923–2014).^[4][5] Her mother was German and her father was American.^[3][6] She attended Rancho Alamitos High School in Garden Grove, California, and later Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, California, where she graduated in 1977.^[7]

Brown met Simpson in 1977^[8] when she was eighteen years old and working as a waitress at a Beverly Hills private club called The Daisy.^{[9][10][11][12]} Although Simpson was still married to his first wife, Marguerite, the two began dating. Simpson and Marguerite divorced in March 1979.^[13] Simpson and Brown were married on February 2, 1985,^[14] five years after his retirement from professional football.^[13][15][16] The marriage lasted seven years, during which time they had two children, Sydney (b. 1985) and Justin (b. 1988).^[17] Simpson was investigated multiple times by the police for domestic violence and pleaded no contest to spousal abuse in 1989.^[18][19] Brown filed for divorce on February 25, 1992, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason.^[20] Following the divorce, Simpson and Brown got back together^[21] and the abuse continued. Audio released during the murder trial of O. J. Simpson revealed that Brown called 9-1-1 on October 25, 1993, crying and saying that "He [Simpson] is going to beat the shit out of me."^[22] After this incident, the relationship would end for a second and final time.^[22]

During her separation from Simpson, Brown was alleged to have had an affair with Simpson's friend, fellow football player and football analyst Marcus Allen.^[23][24] Allen denied the allegation, although it was backed by multiple members of his and Brown's inner circle, including Simpson,^[23] Faye Resnick,^[25] confidants to Sheila Weller,^[21] and Simpson's defense attorneys, who claimed that Allen confessed the affair to Simpson. Simpson nonetheless let his friend get married at Simpson's North Rockingham Avenue estate.^[21][26][27]

Brown lived at 875 South Bundy Drive in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California with her two children.^[23][28][29] On the evening of Sunday, June 12, 1994, Brown, aged 35, was stabbed to death outside her home along with her friend, 25-year-old restaurant waiter Ron Goldman. Her body was found shortly after midnight on June 13. She was lying in the fetal position in a pool of blood.^[30] An autopsy determined that Brown had been stabbed seven times in the neck and scalp, and had a 5.5-inch-long (140 mm) gash across her throat, which had severed both her left and right carotid arteries and breached her right and left jugular veins.^[30] The wound on Brown's neck was so severe it had penetrated a depth of 0.75 inches (19 mm) into her cervical vertebrae,^[30] nearly decapitating her.^[22][31] She also had defensive wounds on her hands.^[30]

Brown's funeral was held on June 16 at the St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Brentwood,^[32] with mourners including Simpson and their children,^[33] members of Brown's family, family friend Al Cowlings,house guest Kato Kaelin, Steve Garvey, Caitlyn Jenner (then known as Bruce Jenner),^[34] and the Kardashians. Brown is buried in Ascension Cemetery^[35] in Lake Forest, California.^[36][37]

Simpson was tried for the murders of both Brown and Goldman. In October 1995, after a public trial that lasted nearly nine months, he was acquitted.^[38] In a 1997 civil trial, a jury found him liable for the wrongful deaths of Brown and Goldman and awarded $19.5 million in damages to their families. Simpson was subsequently jailed for an unrelated armed robbery at a Las Vegas hotel in 2008.^[39][40]

In 1995, Brown's close friend Kris Jenner named her daughter Kendall Nicole Jenner in memory of Brown.^[41]

In 1996, after the conclusion of the trial, a judge granted Simpson's petition to give him full custody of Sydney and Justin.^[42] Brown's parents continued unsuccessfully to fight for custody.^[43][44][45]

Following the deaths of Brown and Goldman, the townhouse at the site of their killing, 875 South Bundy Drive,^[23][28][29] sat empty for two years, until the next owner extensively remodeled it and had the address changed.^[46]

A foundation, Nicole Simpson Foundation, was established in 1994 in her memory.^[47] Later renamed the Nicole Brown Charitable Foundation, it reportedly cut back on grantmaking in 1999 due to a drop in donations and questionable management practices.^[48][49]

Brown was portrayed by Jessica Tuck in the television movie The O. J. Simpson Story. She was portrayed by Sandra Olson in Reenactment of the Century. She will be portrayed by Charlotte Kirk in Joshua Newton's upcoming film Nicole & O.J. and by Mena Suvari in The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson.