As the 30th anniversary of Nicole Brown Simpson’s murder approaches, her family and friends are speaking out about her life and tragic death like never before.

In a new, two-part Lifetime documentary series, The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, 50 of Nicole’s friends and family sit down to detail what they remember about the former model, Hollywood socialite and mother of two. Much of Nicole’s legacy, they say, was tragically lost in the media circus surrounding her brutal murder and the “Trial of the Century” against her late ex-husband, O.J. Simpson.

“She wasn’t a headline of a tragedy,” says one participant. “She was so much more.”

“I honestly believe that this world does not know who Nicole Brown was,” agrees another.

Kris Jenner — whose late ex-husband, Robert Kardashian Sr., was a member of O.J.’s “Dream Team” of defense lawyers during his murder trial — is one such friend who is featured in the two-part series. Jenner became close to Nicole when they were both still married to Kardashian and O.J., respectively.

Nicole’s sisters, Denise, Dominique, and Tanya, are also all participants in the series, hoping to “shine a light” on who their sister really was. Like many interviewees featured in the trailer, they express their disdain for the way that the media circus surrounding O.J.’s trial took away from the grim reality that two lives had ben snuffed out that day.

“It wasn’t about Nicole, it wasn’t about Ron,” one says. “It was about who could win. Who played the best game?”

The two-night series will detail what exactly friends and family knew about O.J.’s abuse towards Nicole, both before and after their marriage. Certain interviews accuse O.J. of “stalking” his ex, make reference to a diary that Nicole kept of the abusive incidents and one chilling clip even insists, “She always knew he was gonna hurt her.”

Watch the full trailer below:

On the night of June 12, 1994, Nicole and Ron Goldman, were found stabbed to death at her Brentwood home. According to multiple reports, O.J. and Nicole — by then divorced — had attended a music recital for their daughter, though he didn’t speak to her and did not sit with her or her family. Afterward, the family (sans O.J.) had dinner at the Italian restaurant Mezzaluna, which closed its doors in 1997. It’s been said that Nicole left her glasses there and Ron, a waiter at the restaurant and an acquaintance of Nicole’s, brought the glasses to her Brentwood home.

Nicole suffered horrific injuries to her neck and head, while Ron reportedly suffered 22 stab wounds. O.J. was considered the only viable suspect in the double murder case — especially given his documented history of spousal abuse.

O.J.’s murder trial garnered wall-to-wall coverage across the nation. The trial lasted nearly a year and it quickly became one of the most widely publicized events in American history. His “Dream Team” of lawyers — Kardashian, Johnnie Cochran, Robert Shapiro and F. Lee Bailey — went up against lead prosecutor Marcia Clark.

On Oct. 3, 1995, with more than 150 million viewers tuned in, O.J. was found not guilty of both murders. He was, however, later found guilty of the deaths in a civil suit, and ordered to pay a whopping $30 million to Nicole and Ron’s families.

Following O.J.’s death on April 10, 2024, Ron’s father, Fred Goldman, shared a statement with ET on behalf of him and his wife, Patti Goldman, saying, “This is a reminder of how long Ron and Nicole have been gone and missed. It’s not about the killer, it’s about the victims.”

Ron’s sister, Kim Goldman, also spoke out following O.J.’s death from metastatic prostate cancer.

“The news of Ron’s killer passing away is a mixed bag of complicated emotions and reminds us that the journey through grief is not linear,” she said in a statement to ET. “For three decades we tirelessly pursued justice for Ron and Nicole, and despite a civil judgement and his confession in If I Did It, the hope for true accountability has ended.”

The statement continued, “We will continue to advocate for the rights of all victims and survivors, ensuring our voices are heard both within and beyond the courtroom. And despite his death, the mission continues; there’s always more to be done. Thank you for keeping our family, and most importantly Ron, in your hearts for the last 30 years.”

Nicole’s sisters shared the same sentiment in their statement about the upcoming series:

“What happened to our sister Nicole should never have happened to her or to any other woman,” they say. “Her life was stolen from her and while her abuser is finally gone, it doesn’t take away the anguish we feel or the pain of her children who lost their mother. We hope that by sharing Nicole’s story, it will help others recognize the signs and get the help they need and her legacy will continue to live on.”

The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson premieres June 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. PT/ET on Lifetime.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential.

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