It’s no secret O.J. Simpson lived in Miami.
He lived here awhile, from 1998 until 2008, raising his kids and living his life. Simpson owned a mansion in Kendall. He bought it in 2000. It was rumored at the time that living in Miami provided him a shelter, due to our Homestead Act, his primary residence wasn’t an asset the Goldman and Brown families could claim.
The multi-million dollar house is off of Kilian Drive. The exact address is 9450 SW 112th St. When he was imprisoned in 2008, the house became abandoned and turned into a haunt for local Kendall kids. You can see his house here before it was abandoned.
Suburban Lore
As a professor at Miami Dade in Kendall, over the years, I must have heard at least thirty stories from students who hung out there in their teens. Teens played ball on the basketball court. Stoners got high and others drank at night. It was a popular date spot.
Think of Heisenberg’s house in Breaking Bad post his arrest. A place of suburban lure.
Simpson never returned to Miami (he wasn’t welcome in Florida) and the house was sold then demolished. The lot of land is actually for sale right now for a cool 2.4 million.
O.J. Simpson on the Town in Miami
O.J. Simpson loved going to the Miami Improv comedy club. He was friend’s with the owner, Stan, an older Jewish man, a pretty serious dude for a comedy club owner. For years, Simpson had a girlfriend. She looked exactly like his ex-wife Nicole Brown, tall, white, platinum blond, busty.
I worked at the Miami Improv from 2004 to 2007 and saw him there at least five times.
True story.
One night, Simpson’s girlfriend barged into the Miami Improv, manic, shaking, almost crying.
“Where’s Stan? Where’s Stan? He’s going to hurt me.”
I was working the host stand, seating people. I knew who she was and what she meant.
“He’s so angry right now. He’s going to kill me. Please, where’s Stan?”
She had nowhere to go and ran into the Improv to hide.
“Stan’s not here tonight. He’s in West Palm Beach. Are you all right?”
“Shit.”
She walked away from the stand and ventured back outside into The Grove.
Craziest O.J. Miami Story Ever
True story.
One night O.J. Simpson was at the comedy club to see Tommy Davidson, the ex-In Living Color comedian and actor. Davidson was headlining. During those years, Tommy closed his set doing ten minutes of O.J. jokes.
I was serving the Green Room that night, which means I was waiting on Simpson and others, as they drank and ate.
When comedians go on stage, they enter through a door. The Green Room was on the other side of the door. Simpson grabbed my hand as I was cleaning up some dishes.
“J.J. — can you get me a knife?”
“Why do you want a knife, O.J.?”
“I want to prank Tommy. When he’s doing his closing bit, I want to pop out of the door with a knife, sneak up behind him and pretend to stab him in the heart.”
“What kind of knife? Like a big butcher’s knife?”
“Exactly.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
True fucking story.
The show was almost over and it was insanely busy. Pre-bussing, getting last drinks out, the checks were dropping and everyone was weeded. I had to run it by my manager first.
My manager was either Brett or Gideon, can’t recall, but I think it was Brett, a hella cool guy. I go up to Brett and speak fast.
“O.J. Simpson wants a butcher’s knife to prank Tommy. I’m going to give it to him.”
Brett stopped in his tracks. I almost walked off to look for a knife.
He grabbed me.
“What did you say?”
I told him again, but slower.
“J.J. — you are not putting a knife in O.J. Simpson’s hand.”
I pleaded. Swear to god. I thought it would be newsworthy if we filmed it. This was 2005 or 2006. I tried to persuade my manager who was justly vigilant.
“Do. Not. Put. A Knife. In O.J. Simpson’s hands. Heard?”
“Got it boss.”
I went to tell O.J. he couldn’t have a real knife. He said okay.
Simpson proceeded to prank Tommy anyway, popping out of the room, grabbing him from behind, stabbing him with an invisible knife. Hundreds of people saw this and would remember.
What balls on that guy, huh? What balls indeed.
