Oprah Won't Read If I Did It

Posted on September 17, 2007

Oprah has spoken: she will not buy or read If I Did It, the O.J. Simpson faux memoir about how he killed his wife and Ron Goldman. She did a show about the book in which the Goldmans (on the left) and the prosecutors in the case (Marcia Clark and Chris Darden on the right) discussed the issue. Denise Brown refused to appear with the Goldmans, but appeared in a taped segment. She finds the book disgusting and says the Goldmans are hypocrites. We happen to agree.

Winfrey said she won't buy or read the book, and asked the Goldmans if they don't feel its proceeds are "blood money." "It's sending him a message," Kim Goldman said. "He put hours putting together this confession about how he killed Ron and Nicole, and he worked hard thinking he was going to make millions off of it. And we snatched it right out from under him."
Winfrey said dedicating a show to the topic was a "moral, ethical dilemma" for her. She said she committed to the show when the guests were to also include Nicole Simpson's sister, Denise Brown, who has been severely critical of the Goldmans for publishing the book. Brown later refused to share a stage with the Goldmans, however, and Winfrey said she felt she had to keep her word to the Goldmans. Winfrey acknowledged that her program often promotes books and authors, yet, she said, "I don't want to be in the position to promote this book, because I, too, think it's despicable." Denise Brown did speak to Winfrey, but on her own in a segment taped earlier. She said she decided against appearing with the Goldmans because she feared it would give the book "more impact."
She called the Goldmans hypocrites for changing their minds about publishing a book Fred Goldman earlier called "disgusting" and "despicable" when O.J. Simpson stood to benefit. "I felt the same way. I stood my ground on that," Brown said. "I still don't believe it should be published. I think it is a morally wrong thing to do." Winfrey told the Goldmans she wishes they could find some peace, but Fred Goldman said the book's publication won't help with that. "It brings a certain level of satisfaction that we've taken something from him," he said. "I think it also is a recognition for him to know forevermore that we're going to be after him ... to punish him for what he's done, to get some piece of justice."

At least Oprah said she wouldn't read the book. Good for her.