Nicole Simpson’s ex-boyfriend knew about O.J. Simpson’s domestic violence and said it was an open secret in Hollywood.
Joseph Perulli dated Simpson, whom he met through Kris Jenner, in 1992 when she was newly separated from the football legend, but learned early on that OJ was violent.
“I knew because people in the[movie]industry told me about his abuse,” he told Page Six in a recent exclusive interview.
Perulli added that there was little anyone could do about the former Buffalo Bills player’s abuse.
“We were all helpless,” he explained. “He was still a spokesperson for a very large company (Hertz), a car rental company, and he was also a sportscaster. I mean, everyone was powerless, but it seemed like he could do whatever he wanted to do. And he did.”
Nicole also confessed to Perulli that she was beaten so badly by the retired player that she feared for her life.
Perulli, 65, who wrote a book about their relationship called The Forgotten Briefcase, said he loved the mother-of-two deeply but ultimately broke up with her because of OJ.
During their time together, he was horrified to learn that OJ had been monitoring him and Nicole at their Brentwood home and following them as they jogged.
The final straw was when he had a disturbing dream in which he and Nicole drove a car off a cliff and died.
The next morning, he collects all the mementos of their time together and hides them in his briefcase, distancing himself from Nicole even though he loves her deeply.
The last time they met was at the Jenner family’s holiday party during Christmas in 1993.
“She wanted to be friends,” Perulli explained. “It was very difficult to be friends with her when I was in love with her and trying to maintain such a platonic relationship.”
The party was uncomfortable because Nicole was with OJ. However, Mr. Perulli believed, “I would see her again. She would apologize, but six months later I received a phone call saying she had been murdered.”
In 1994, 35-year-old Nicole was murdered outside her Los Angeles home along with her friend Ron Goldman.
She and the “Naked Gun” star married in 1985 and have two children, daughter Sydney and son Justin. They divorced in 1992 but later reconciled. The marriage was ruined by multiple incidents of domestic violence.
On December 31, 1989, police responded to a call in which Nicole said she believed O.J. was trying to kill her. Officers arrived and found her “severely beaten, half-naked” and hiding in the bushes. He ultimately pleaded no contest to spousal abuse.
OJ was acquitted of murder in 1995. The following year, a civil jury found him responsible for the murder.
He passed away in 2024 at the age of 76.
The entrepreneur said he had no intention of writing a book about their time together, but rediscovered the briefcase in 2024.
“I spent nearly four hours on the stairs rediscovering this woman and understanding who she was,” he said. “All these little memories. I would say they made her human. She was a victim. And because we ended our relationship, I. I ignored how much I loved her.”
