• Marguerite Whitley is the first wife of OJ Simpson and has a net worth of over $250,000
• She is of African-American descent and attended college at the University of Southern California (USC)
• She began dating OJ Simpson in 1967, and eventually inherited her family's business
• OJ Simpson was acquitted of the murder of his second ex-wife, leading to a controversial trial
• She has been married twice since her divorce from Simpson, and is currently in a relationship with Anthony Thomas
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Who is Marguerite Whitley?
Marguerite Whitley was born on 20 March 1949, in Los Angeles, California, USA. She’s a businesswoman and a former retail store employee, but best known for being the first wife of retired professional American Football player OJ Simpson. Her former husband made headlines after his controversial acquittal in the murder case of his second ex-wife. He died in April 2024.
The Riches of Marguerite Whitley
Marguerite Whitley has a net worth estimated at close to $500,000, thanks largely to her success in running a business, and the residue of alimony from OJ.
She took over her family’s business, and also received a $26,000 sum from her divorce settlement with Simpson, plus $1,500 in child support.
Life and Career
Marguerite is of African-American descent, and grew up in Los Angeles where she attended high school. After matriculating, she enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC), which was also the university that OJ Simpson was attending. At the time she was in another relationship, romantically connected to her college friend Al Cowlings.
After one party, OJ was asked to drive her home, and this led to the two becoming close. The two had known each other for some time at that point, but never connected until that period. After her relationship with Cowlings fell away in 1967, they began dating , leading to their engagement three months later. At the time he was relatively unknown, save for his achievements in college football. After she completed her education, she worked mainly as an employee for the big box retail store Walmart.
As her husband’s career started to flourish in the National Football League (NFL), she probably benefited from the wealth he earned. She eventually became the inheritor of her family’s business, which also brought more income her way.
Husband – OJ Simpson
OJ was the son of a hospital administrator and a chef. His father sidelined as a drag queen, and later admitted that he was gay before passing away from AIDS. OJ grew up in San Francisco, and during his youth became involved in a gang.
He was raised primarily by his mother after his parents separated, and he got into a lot of trouble, then was encouraged by professional baseball player Willie Mays that he should try playing sports and avoid trouble. He attended Galileo High School, and during his time there played for the school’s football team. He excelled in the sport, but had poor grades. After matriculating, he enrolled at the City College of San Francisco, continuing to play football.
He showcased his skill and attracted a lot of attention from top universities, and chose University of Southern California due to being a fan of the school’s team. He became one of their stars during that time, including a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy during his junior year, before finally claiming it in his senior year. He was drafted by the American Football Leagues’s (AFL) Buffalo Bills, and stayed with the team until 1977 when an injury cut his season short. He then moved to the San Francisco 49ers, playing for a season before retiring.
The Famous Murder Trial
Simpson transitioned to an acting career following his retirement, and would later start an affair with Nicole Brown, whom he would later marry following his divorce from Whitley. The marriage had a lot of trouble, as OJ was known to be abusive. In 1992 the two divorced, citing irreconcilable differences, tried to reconcile but failed. The two were known to be obsessive during and after their relationship. In 1994, his former wife and a friend were found stabbed to death outside her condo in Los Angeles.
He became an immediate suspect in the case, and even tried to evade the police. His arrest was widely publicized and so was his trial, which was considered a ‘Trial of the Century’ due to his reputation, and the international attention it attracted. The jury eventually delivered a verdict of not guilty, which led to a division, as a majority still believed that he was guilty. This was not the end for his troubles, however, as he was later arrested for robbery, leading to a sentence of 33 years, but was paroled in 2017, after having served almost nine years.
Personal Life
Whitley had three children with Simpson, the youngest of whom passed away at two years of age, drowning in the family’s swimming pool. They stayed together for 12 years, though during their last years he became involved with nightclub waitress Nicole Brown, which lit the fuse that ended their marriage. After their divorce, Whitley became romantically involved with Rudolph Lewis, a transit supervisor, and they married in 1986. Their marriage lasted for only four years, then after her second divorce, she started a relationship with furniture salesman Anthony Thomas – the two married in 1992. Apparently they’ve been together ever since.
