The notorious murder suspect, who was later found civilly liable for the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman passed away surrounded by his family at his home in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.

Simpson became one of the most infamous figures in America after he was charged with the murders in 1994.

An X post shared on his official account by his family said: ‘On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.

‘He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace. -The Simpson Family.’

Simpson, a former football running back who played 11 seasons with the Buffalo Bills, reinvented himself as an actor before Brown and Goldman’s murders.

Although cleared of the killings, his reputation was ruined forever and the latter part of his career was marked by a series of seedy ventures.

After being acquitted, Simpson went on to be found civilly liable for the murders and was later forced to pay out $33.5million in damages to the victims’ families.

He faced further legal troubles when he was sentenced to nine to 33 years behind bars for armed robbery in Nevada in 2008.

It was previously reported that the ex-NFL star was battling prostate cancer and undergoing chemotherapy.

He had been pictured looking frail on a number of occasions earlier this year while walking around his Las Vegas neighborhood.

He died aged 76 after a short battle with prostate cancer.