Kriti Mehrotra
It was June 12, 1994, when the entire world turned upside down for the Brown family as Nicole Brown Simpson was found dead on the door of her condo in Brentwood, California. At the scene, as explored in Netflix’s ‘American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson,’ there was the body of her friend Ronald “Ron” Goldman too, and he had been killed in the same way. Many close to the former at the time believed their killer was none other than her ex-husband and former NFL star O.J. Simpson, amongst whom was her sister Denise Brown.
Denise Brown Shared a Close-Knit Relationship With Her Late Sister Nicole
Born to Juditha Anne Brown and Louis Hezekiel Brown as the eldest of four children, Denise grew up with tight-knit bonds and support at every step of the way. The truth is she was born on July 29, 1957, in Frankfurt, Germany, two years before Nicole, and spent their early years in Europe before relocating to the US, where their youngest two sisters were born. It was here that Nicole developed a deep passion for all things equestrian, especially since they were based in Orange County, an endeavor that Nicole knew about and backed.
However, everything turned upside down on the night of June 12, 1994, as Nicole was killed in one of the most brutal ways imaginable right at the doorstep of her own home. Denise was actually one of the first individuals the police contacted the following morning to let them know of the tragedy, and the first words out of her mouth apart from screams was “he did it,” referring to O.J. Simpson. She has always believed he was responsible for the demise, and she made sure her opinions were known.
Denise Brown Testified in the Trial For Her Sister’s Murder
Although there was a media circus every step of the way in Nicole’s case, the Brown family was undeterred in their efforts to attain justice. Therefore, considering all that she knew of her sister’s relationship with the athlete, the eldest daughter even agreed to testify against O.J. While on the stands, she described a tumultuous relationship between the couple before going as far as to assert she had once begged Nicole to leave because of what she had witnessed. She alleged there was violence and abuse in their union.
According to Denise’s own statement, during a dinner party, O.J. had made a comment about owning Nicole’s body after grabbing her crotch, so she had asked him to treat her better. What ensued, she said, was him grabbing her sister by the neck and pushing her against the wall to make it clear that she was hers. Moreover, she said that when Nicole was pregnant with their kids, the athlete even referred to her in derogatory body-shaming terms, like “fat pig.” She even recalled how the family had had dinner together on the fateful night following Nicole’s daughter’s dance recital, and everything was okay.
Denise recalled O.J. being on edge during the recital because Nicole was wearing a little black dress and had made it clear she was ready to move on. She added that his exclusion from the family dinner allegedly didn’t sit well with him either. Little did anyone know that everything would soon turn upside down mere hours later as Nicole and a friend were brutally killed with a knife, with the crime scene being left all bloody. Alas, in the end, O.J. was acquitted of murder. Nevertheless, both the victims’ families filed a civil lawsuit case against him and won $33.3 million in compensation in 1996, but they have not received any of it.
Denise Brown is Now an Activist Fighting Against Domestic Violence With Utmost Dedication
While it’s true that Denise has endured more pain and grief than any of us can ever even imagine, she has not let it take control of her life. Instead, she has turned it into motivation. It was in 1995 itself that she began speaking up against domestic violence, going as far as to lobby for the Violence Against Women Act by urging senators to increase funding for such matters. As if that’s not enough, in the past three decades, she has even evolved into a full-fledged activist as well as a public speaker, often going to churches, prisons, universities, and private businesses or institutions to speak on the subject.
Most recently, Denise traveled to Florida as well as Chicago after being asked to speak by the Wings Program and to Colorado as a special guest for Safe Shelter Co. Furthermore, she even backs the Alpha Chi Omega sorority at High Point University for their Domestic Violence Awareness and Sexual Assault Prevention efforts. Moreover, and more importantly, she has been keeping Nicole’s name alive through her connection with her sisters, with whom she worked to release the Lifetime documentary ‘The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson’ on her 30th death anniversary.
Coming to Denise’s current standing, from what we can tell, the California native is dedicating all her energy these days to keeping her sister’s legacy alive while serving as an activist for domestic violence. Whenever she is not working as a public speaker, giving interviews, or dabbling in her passion for entertainment, she is spending quality time with family, especially her two remaining sisters. After all, they have since sadly lost not only their parents but also sister Dominique’s only child, Aaron Brown (2022), and are no longer in touch with Nicole’s two children. All she knows is that family is the most important thing, so she is doing her best to be there for them at every turn.
Read More: Marguerite Whitley: Where is OJ Simpson’s Ex-Wife Now?
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