O.J. Simpson: Harpo Says Rumors of Confession to Oprah Completely False

O.J. Simpson has found himself in the headlines once again this week after a tabloid report claimed that the much-maligned former football star had delivered one of the biggest, and least surprising, confessions in recent memory.

Simpson, a former superstar running back, Heisman Trophy winner and Hall of Famer, was alleged to have confessed to killing late wife Nicole Brown Simpson back in 1994 to Oprah Winfrey, according to a report from the National Enquirer. 

However, Harpo Productions, Winfrey's production company that she owns and operates, quickly released a statement denying any truth to the reports.

Per that statement:

Despite a National Enquirer report that Simpson confessed from prison to murdering ex wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, a rep for Harpo tells The Hollywood Reporter, "That's not true."

Winfrey's desire to be the one to whom Simpson confesses on television has been well-documented over the last couple of weeks, and the one-time television host-turned-producer admitted as much last week. But while it appeared briefly that she'd gotten her wish, the report turned out to be complete bunk. 

For those not old enough to remember why this would be a big deal, allow me to jog your memories. Simpson's murder trial spanned several months and represented the first time that a criminal trial became the biggest story in America. Virtually every American who owned a television or a radio followed the trial as it happened, developing their own verdicts and their own conclusions about the once great running back. 

It marked the first time an athlete had seen his life come completely unglued due to criminal charges, and was the first true media circus trial. It was compelling drama, with racial and cultural undertones that helped make the not guilty verdict one of the most heavily documented moments in American history. 

Of course, the false reports of a confession will quickly be forgotten, but perhaps they shouldn't be just yet. Once again, we've seen the dangers of a modern media world in which it's all too easy to jump the gun and turn a story into something bigger than it ever should have been, before it's even confirmed or verified. 

This tends to happen every once in a while; a story comes out and takes off before there's even a chance to realize it's completely bogus, and once we do, everyone gets egg on their face. I don't know if it's a problem that can be fixed, but perhaps, with a little bit more digging, everyone would have realized that Oprah hadn't actually gotten O.J.'s confession, since there was no indication she had from any of her media outlets. 

Did no one stop and realize that if Oprah had gotten this interview, the one she dreams of getting, we would have heard about it from her first, and not some report from the National Enquirer? Do you really think she'd let that kind of thing leak from anyone but herself? Please. 

It is possible to be fast and accurate with stories like this, and hopefully, the media can learn to be a bit more careful with their fact-checking in the future, although with the demand for information and speed being as high as it is, something tells me they won't be.