The incident happened about 1 month after OJ Simpson was paroled by the Nevada authorities.
O.J. Simpson is back in the spotlight after he threatened to sue The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas with a $100 million lawsuit. Simpson’s threatened lawsuit stems from a November incident in which he was thrown out of the casino’s bar.
About a month after his release from prison, OJ. Simpson was having a night out with friends in one of the bar areas inside the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, a luxury resort and casino which opened on the Las Vegas Strip in 2010.
The two sides have disparate accounts of the events on November 8, 2017. What is known is O.J. Simpson was escorted from the premises that night and banned for life from the Cosmopolitan. The casino’s staff claims OJ was belligerent, under the influence of alcohol, and he smashed the Cosmopolitan’s drinking glasses.
Simpson, his friends, and his lawyer claim the celebrity had not been drinking that night, and they suggest the casino’s employees concocted a story to sell to TMZ. Simpson’s lawyer says his client’s accusers’ motives are a combination of racism and profit motive.
O.J. Simpson Threatens to Sue for $100 Million
Malcom LaVergne, Simpson’s Attorney, sent a letter dated Dec. 29 to Cosmopolitan with the intent to sue, along with a list of requests for evidence that might help paint a clearer picture of what exactly happened that night. LaVergne requested security camera footage, as well as contact information for all employees working the evening of the incident.
TMZ reported that the OJ Simpson was drunk and unruly during the November incident. Drinking glasses were broken during Simpson’s confrontation with casino personnel, resulting in the former NFL star, onetime murder defendant, and ex-convict being thrown out by staff. At the time, Cosmopolitan banned Simpson from returning to the casino.
Disputed Account of Cosmopolitan Incident
Eyewitness accounts suggested that O.J. appeared to be inebriated during the incident, though multiple members of Simpson’s party said he had not had a drink that evening. OJ Simpson has consistently denied the casino’s reports of his unruly behavior in a subsequent video. The Simpson team also sent a letter requesting that TMZ reporters hold off on publishing until they get all of the facts.
In his submission to the entertainment and tabloid website, Simpson said, “Nothing happened at The Cosmo…It’s a complete lie. They totally lied to everybody. The hotel has made it clear that the story that you saw on that tabloid show was wrong, was inaccurate.”
Simpson’s Version of Events
After threatening to sue Cosmopolitan this week, Malcom LaVergne said Simpson was willing to drop the lawsuit if the company meets the terms of the letter and corrects any false accusations regarding Simpson.
LaVerge said, “If they do that and say ‘Mea culpa, Mr. Simpson did nothing wrong’ in the same manner they went out with the big TMZ campaign back in November, okay all’s well that ends well.”
Back on November 8th, Malcolm LaVerge said, “The Cosmopolitan Casino discriminately singled out Mr. Simpson amongst his non-African American friends and subsequently expelled him for what turned out to be a fake reason while he peacefully visited the Cosmopolitan property on or about the evening of November 8, 2017.”
He added, “My investigation of this case leads me to conclude that that executives, employees or agents of the Cosmopolitan discriminated against Mr. Simpson and others with him in a manner that violates federal and Nevada state law.”
Alleged Motive Behind the Accusations
Simpson maintains the story that he was enjoying a calm dinner among friends, when he was approached and told to leave the casino. At the same time, OJ claims he was told he was being banned from the casino entirely. Malcolm LaVergne claims the decision to oust OJ Simpson from the premises was made before OJ ever arrived at the casino, and he attributes a profit motive to the instigation of the incident.
LaVergne believes that Cosmopolitan employees sold the story to TMZ, knowing that it was false. Simpson’s legal team is concerned, because their client’s past legal troubles and recent parole means the situation has deeper implications. If Simpson has trouble with the law, it could cause his parole status to be revoked.
On top of accusing the casino staff, management, and associates of acting with “malice and racial prejudice” in the letter, LaVergne states that he believes the casino staff set up his client “for profit and in the hopes of jeopardizing Mr. Simpson’s parole status and embarrass him.”
O.J. Simpson’s October Parole
O.J. Simpson was released on parole on Oct. 1, after he served nine years in prison for armed robbery and kidnapping. Some of the conditions of his Nevada parole include limits in his alcohol consumption, which makes the Cosmopolitan’s version of the story particularly problematic.
Since the incident which sent OJ Simpson to prison occurred at another Las Vegas casino and he is limited in the amount of alcohol consumption he is allowed, it might have been inadvisable to have a friendly gathering in a casino’s bar area. That being said, it is not illegal under Simpson’s parole terms for him to have gone into a car, or into that casino’s bar area.
The Cosmopolitan released a statement Jan. 5 regarding the incident and the subsequent threats of a $100 million lawsuit, stating, “As a matter of company policy, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas does not comment on potential litigation.”
