OJ Simpson trial: "First reality stars" still in the spotlight | Forensic Files

We the jury in the above entitled action find the defendant or Orinthal James Simpson not guilty of the crime of
murder in violence. It's been 20 years since OJ Simpson's televised murder trial captivated the world.
Two decades later, many of the trials curious cast of characters are still in the spotlight. The trial itself was a
reality show, the first and the best. It was kind of compulsively watchable. It was on daily and it was addictive. If it
doesn't fit, you must have quit. Many of the kind of supporting players tried to
actually parlay this into a reality TV show career. Yeah, I heard a noise. You had Ko Kalin, kind of the HMBO house
guest. People became obsessed with Ko. He was on Celebrity Boot Camp, Give Me My Reality Show, Reality Bites Back.
[Applause] KO has a line of pajama wear called Ko's Potatoes and it's for the couch potato
lifestyle. That's where the remote goes. So, it's pajamas that have pockets for your remote control for your bag of
potato chips. Then you had Fay Resnik. Fay Resnik was a close friend of Nicole's. Fay Resnik
appeared on the first two seasons of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and she
also has a successful career as an interior designer. Even OJ tried to get in on the action.
Donald Trump was considering using him as a contestant on the second season of Celebrity
[Music] Apprentice, but the network boed. He said, "Thank you, Lord." When this verdict came down after the trial ended,
the people with the biggest reality TV careers were the children of the OJ Simpson case. Robert Kardashian was the
best friend lap dog of OJ for some 30 years, and he became a member of the defense team. I'm here. Kim, Chloe, and
Courtney, that is not obviously went on to be huge reality TV stars. Chloe. So, what we have here is a suicidal man, OJ
Simpson, with a gun to his head. The Ford Bronco, at least as of a couple of years ago, you could rent it out for
parties, bar mitzvah. It was a prop. It became a prop at parties. Fame is fame. And I think
that's the legacy of the trial.

From the Kardashians and Kato Kaelin to the infamous white Ford Bronco, Vanity Fair writer Lili Anolik looks back on the curious cast of characters still in the spotlight 20 years after the O.J. Simpson trial.

Brief Summary

The episode examines the O.J. Simpson trial's influence on reality TV and the careers of its key figures.

Key points

OJ Simpson's Not Guilty Verdict. The jury finds OJ Simpson not guilty of murder, shocking the nation.
The Reality Show Trial. The trial captivated audiences and became a cultural phenomenon, likened to a reality show.
The Aftermath of Fame. Many involved in the trial transitioned into reality TV careers, shaping their legacies.

Episode highlights

The Reality Show TrialThe trial captivated audiences and became a cultural phenomenon, likened to a reality show.“The trial itself was a reality show, the first and the best.”0:25Jun 13, 2014

Episode quotes

If it doesn't fit, you must have quit.

A memorable phrase from the trial.

0:30WatchJun 13, 2014

More from 48 Hours

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.