Who Is Justin Ryan Simpson? The Amazing Life Story of Nicole Brown Simpson’s Son
Justin Ryan Simpson is the younger son of Nicole Brown Simpson and former NFL star O.J. Simpson, and he has spent most of his life trying to stay out of a spotlight he never asked for. He was only five years old when his mother was killed in 1994, and he grew up while one of the most watched trials in American history played out on television. Today he works in real estate, raises a young family and almost never speaks to the press. This guide covers his early years, his schooling, his career, his family and the legal dispute that pulled him back into the headlines after his father died in 2024.
Justin Ryan Simpson: Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Justin Ryan Simpson |
| Date of birth | August 6, 1988 |
| Age | 38 (as of September 2026) |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Zodiac sign | Leo |
| Mother | Nicole Brown Simpson (1959 to 1994) |
| Father | O.J. Simpson (1947 to 2024) |
| Full sibling | Sydney Brooke Simpson (born October 17, 1985) |
| Half-siblings | Arnelle Simpson, Jason Simpson and the late Aaren Simpson |
| Maternal aunts | Denise, Dominique and Tanya Brown |
| High school | Gulliver Preparatory School, Miami, Florida |
| Profession | Real estate agent |
| Known brokerage | Coldwell Banker, St. Petersburg (reported in 2016) |
| Business | Primary Holdings LLC |
| Partner | Alyssa Browne, artist |
| Child | Daughter, Lana Nicole (born 2022) |
| Home base | St. Petersburg, Florida, with property ties to Las Vegas |
| Public profile | Very private; rarely gives interviews |
Who Is Justin Ryan Simpson?
Justin Ryan Simpson is an American real estate agent best known as the son of Nicole Brown Simpson and O.J. Simpson. He is the youngest of O.J. Simpson’s children and the second of the two children O.J. had with Nicole.
Most people first heard his name in 1994, when his mother’s murder turned his family into a national news story. Cameras followed the Simpson children for years, even though they were too young to understand what was happening around them.
As an adult, Justin chose a quiet path. He built a career in property sales, settled in Florida and kept his personal life away from social media and talk shows.
His name returned to the news in 2025, when his late father’s estate filed a lawsuit against him over a house in Las Vegas. That case showed how the Simpson story still follows him decades later.
When and Where Was Justin Ryan Simpson Born?
Justin Ryan Simpson was born on August 6, 1988, in Los Angeles, California. His parents had married in February 1985, and his older sister, Sydney, arrived later that same year.
His father was already a household name by then. O.J. Simpson had won the Heisman Trophy at USC, set rushing records with the Buffalo Bills and moved into acting and sports broadcasting after he retired.
His mother, Nicole Brown, grew up in Southern California and met O.J. in 1977 while she worked as a waitress. The couple’s marriage was troubled, and Nicole filed for divorce in 1992, when Justin was three.
After the divorce, Justin and Sydney split their time between their parents’ homes in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. Family friends later described Nicole as a devoted mother who built her days around her children.
What Happened to Justin’s Mother, Nicole Brown Simpson?
Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were stabbed to death outside her Brentwood condominium on June 12, 1994. Justin, who was five, and Sydney, who was eight, were asleep upstairs in the home when the killings took place.
Police found the bodies shortly after midnight. Officers carried the sleeping children out of the house and took them to safety before the scene was processed.
Authorities soon charged O.J. Simpson with both murders. His trial ran for most of 1995 and drew huge television audiences across the United States and around the world.
On October 3, 1995, a jury found O.J. not guilty. In 1997, however, a civil jury found him liable for the deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million to the Goldman and Brown families.
For Justin, these events meant losing his mother and growing up in the shadow of a case that the whole country seemed to discuss. He has never publicly shared his own views on the verdict.
Who Raised Justin Ryan Simpson After 1994?
Nicole’s parents, Lou and Juditha Brown, cared for Justin and Sydney while O.J. sat in jail awaiting trial. The children lived with their grandparents in Orange County, California, surrounded by their mother’s side of the family.
After his acquittal, O.J. went to court to win back custody. A California judge granted it to him in late 1996, and the Brown family fought that decision in the courts for several more years.
In 2000, O.J. moved with both children to Miami. He bought a four bedroom home in the Kendall area for $575,000, and Justin was about 12 years old when the family settled there.
Florida appealed to O.J. partly because of its strong asset protection laws. Those laws shielded his home and his NFL pension from the civil judgment he still owed the victims’ families.
Despite the upheaval, the Brown family stayed close to the children. Nicole’s sisters have spoken warmly about Justin and Sydney in interviews over the years.
Where Did Justin Ryan Simpson Go to School?
Justin attended Gulliver Preparatory School, a private school in Miami. He played football there, and a 2002 news photo shows O.J. talking with his son on the field after Gulliver beat Archbishop Curley High School.
Sport played a big part in his teenage years. In a 2004 NBC interview, O.J. said his then 16 year old son played lacrosse, basketball and football and earned a place on the honor roll.
O.J. also described Justin as a quiet boy who tended to “turn it inward” when something bothered him. He said Justin often went to his room rather than talk about his problems.
Reliable news outlets have not confirmed where Justin went to college or what he studied. Some fan sites name specific universities, but none of those claims come from verified public records or from Justin himself.
What Does Justin Ryan Simpson Do for a Living?
Justin Ryan Simpson works as a licensed real estate agent. In 2016, the Tampa Bay Times reported that he worked for Coldwell Banker in St. Petersburg, Florida.
He told the paper at the time that he loved the city. “It’s a great place to live, why not St. Pete? It’s gorgeous here,” he said in one of his very few public comments.
Justin and his sister both moved into property after their school years. Reports say Sydney owns and manages rental homes in the St. Petersburg area, while Justin focuses on buying and selling homes for clients.
His work also reached Nevada, where his father lived during his final years. News reports on the 2025 lawsuit describe Justin as a licensed real estate agent in Nevada who acted as the buyer’s agent on his father’s Las Vegas home.
He also runs a company called Primary Holdings LLC. That business became the center of the legal fight over his father’s house.
Who Are Justin Ryan Simpson’s Siblings?
Justin has one full sibling, his older sister Sydney Brooke Simpson. She was born on October 17, 1985, and she graduated from Boston University in 2010 with a degree in sociology.
Sydney later lived in Atlanta before she moved to St. Petersburg, not far from her brother. Like Justin, she avoids interviews and keeps her family life private.
Justin also has half-siblings from O.J.’s first marriage to Marguerite Whitley. His half-sister Arnelle Simpson and half-brother Jason Simpson are both much older than he is.
A third half-sibling, Aaren Simpson, died in 1979 when she was not yet two years old. She drowned in the family pool, years before Justin was born.
The four surviving children were at their father’s side when he died in 2024, according to the family’s public statement.
Is Justin Ryan Simpson Married, and Does He Have Children?
Justin keeps his relationship life very private, but he does have a family of his own. In 2022, he welcomed a daughter with his partner, the artist Alyssa Browne.
The couple named their daughter Lana Nicole. Her middle name honours Justin’s late mother, a quiet tribute that many fans of the family noticed and appreciated.
Some reports describe Justin as married with children, while others call Alyssa his partner. Neither Justin nor Alyssa has publicly confirmed a wedding date.
A family friend who serves as Justin’s godfather told reporters that Justin and Sydney are “solid, solid people and parents.” That description matches what Nicole’s sisters have said about both siblings.
What Was Justin’s Relationship With His Father, O.J. Simpson?
Justin grew up in his father’s care from his early teens, and the two stayed connected until O.J. died. O.J. often spoke proudly about his children in interviews, even when he avoided other topics.
Their relationship went through hard times. In 2008, a Las Vegas jury convicted O.J. of armed robbery and kidnapping over a 2007 confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers, and a judge sentenced him to up to 33 years in prison.
Justin was about 20 when his father went to prison. O.J. served nine years before the Nevada parole board released him in October 2017.
After his release, O.J. settled in Las Vegas. Justin later helped his father with property matters there, which shows the two kept a working relationship in O.J.’s later years.
O.J. Simpson died of prostate cancer on April 10, 2024, at the age of 76. His family posted a short message saying he died “surrounded by his children and grandchildren” and asked the public for privacy.
Why Did O.J. Simpson’s Estate Sue Justin?
O.J. Simpson’s estate sued Justin in January 2025 over the ownership of his father’s home in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas. Malcolm LaVergne, O.J.’s longtime lawyer and the estate’s administrator, filed the case in Clark County District Court.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Justin’s company, Primary Holdings LLC, bought the house in August 2022 for about $795,000. Justin acted as the buyer’s agent on the deal and earned a commission.
The estate argues that O.J. was the true owner because he paid the mortgage and the bills. The lawsuit says Justin set up the purchase to protect his father’s assets from creditors, then moved into the house after O.J. died and refused to hand it over.
LaVergne wants Justin either to transfer the title to the estate or to pay for its value. He told reporters that O.J. called the house his “forever home.” O.J.’s will asks for his assets to be divided equally among his four surviving children.
Justin has not commented publicly on the case. At the time of writing, major news outlets had not reported a final ruling, so the outcome remains unclear.
The dispute sits alongside the estate’s other obligations. In 2025, the estate agreed to pay nearly $58 million to Fred Goldman, Ron Goldman’s father, to settle the long unpaid civil judgment.
How Does Justin Ryan Simpson Keep His Life Private?
Justin keeps a very low public profile. He does not run a well known public social media account, he does not give television interviews and he has never written a book about his family.
That choice stands out because the Simpson story keeps returning to screens. FX released “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” in 2016, Lifetime aired “The Life and Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson” in 2024 and Netflix released “American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson” in 2025.
Nicole’s sisters have spoken openly about how the siblings feel. “They live normal lives. They want to be left alone and they have children of their own,” Dominique Brown said in 2024.
Denise Brown added that the pair “just want to live normal lives and happy lives.” Tanya Brown also admitted that new documentaries could hurt the siblings by revealing painful details about their father.
What Is Justin Ryan Simpson’s Net Worth?
Justin Ryan Simpson has not shared his net worth, and no reliable source has published a verified figure. Numbers that appear on celebrity websites are estimates, not confirmed financial records.
His income comes mainly from his real estate work, including sales commissions and any property he owns through his business. Real estate earnings can change a lot from year to year, so any single figure would be a guess.
He may also receive a share of his father’s estate. However, the estate owes large sums to the Goldman family, and the Las Vegas house dispute has not been publicly settled, so the final value to each child remains unknown.
Conclusion
Justin Ryan Simpson lost his mother at five, grew up during a trial that gripped the world and still chose to build a calm, ordinary life. He works in real estate, raises his daughter and honours Nicole’s memory in his own quiet way. The lawsuit over his father’s Las Vegas home has brought fresh attention, but Justin continues to keep his story largely to himself.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Justin Ryan Simpson?
Justin Ryan Simpson is the son of Nicole Brown Simpson and former NFL star O.J. Simpson. Born in 1988, he is O.J.’s youngest child. He works as a real estate agent, lives a private life in Florida and has a young daughter named Lana Nicole with his partner, Alyssa Browne.
2. How old is Justin Ryan Simpson?
Justin Ryan Simpson was born on August 6, 1988, in Los Angeles, California. That makes him 38 years old as of September 2026. He was just five years old when his mother, Nicole Brown Simpson, was killed outside her Brentwood home in June 1994.
3. Where was Justin when his mother was killed?
Justin was asleep upstairs in his mother’s Brentwood condominium on the night of June 12, 1994. His older sister, Sydney, was also asleep in the home. Police officers carried both children out of the house after they found the bodies of Nicole and Ron Goldman.
4. Who raised Justin Ryan Simpson?
His maternal grandparents, Lou and Juditha Brown, cared for Justin during his father’s murder trial. O.J. Simpson won custody in late 1996 and later moved with Justin and Sydney to Miami in 2000. Justin spent his teenage years there and attended Gulliver Preparatory School.
5. What does Justin Ryan Simpson do for a living?
Justin Ryan Simpson works as a real estate agent. The Tampa Bay Times reported in 2016 that he worked for Coldwell Banker in St. Petersburg, Florida. He also holds a real estate licence in Nevada and runs a company called Primary Holdings LLC, which owns property in Las Vegas.
6. Does Justin Ryan Simpson have children?
Yes. Justin welcomed a daughter in 2022 with his partner, the artist Alyssa Browne. They named her Lana Nicole, and her middle name honours his late mother, Nicole Brown Simpson. Justin keeps details about his daughter and home life private and rarely shares family photos in public.
7. Who are Justin Ryan Simpson’s siblings?
Justin has one full sibling, his older sister Sydney Simpson, born in 1985. He also has two living half-siblings, Arnelle and Jason, from O.J.’s first marriage to Marguerite Whitley. A third half-sibling, Aaren, died in a drowning accident in 1979, before Justin was born.
8. Why did O.J. Simpson’s estate sue his son Justin?
The estate sued Justin in January 2025 over his father’s Las Vegas home. It claims O.J. was the true owner, even though Justin’s company, Primary Holdings LLC, bought the house in 2022. The estate says Justin moved in after O.J. died and refused to return the property.
9. When did O.J. Simpson die?
O.J. Simpson died of prostate cancer on April 10, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 76 years old. His family said he died surrounded by his children and grandchildren, and they asked the public to respect their privacy during a difficult time.
10. What is Justin Ryan Simpson’s net worth?
Justin Ryan Simpson has never disclosed his net worth, and no trusted source has confirmed an exact figure. His income comes mainly from real estate sales and property ownership. Any share he receives from his father’s estate remains uncertain because of debts and the ongoing house dispute.
