The show's continued jokes about Simpsons' acquittal led him to take his complaints to the top
Credit: David Gadd/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty; Al Levine/NBC via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- O.J. Simpson wasn’t a fan of the constant jokes at his expense, primarily the work of Norm Macdonald and Jim Downey
- Downey talked about the calls Simpson would make to NBC’s Don Ohlmeyer during a Tribeca Festival panel
- Downey previously opened up about how he and Norm Macdonald were fired from the late-night comedy show, in part, because of the jokes
O.J. Simpson didn't appreciate jokes at his expense, according to Jim Downey.
The former Saturday Night Live writer, 73, recalled how Simpson would react when mentioned on the sketch comedy show during a panel discussion at the Tribeca Festival on June 6, for Playing POTUS, a documentary delving into presidential parody.
Downey and fellow SNL legend Robert Smigel were asked if any presidents ever expressed being upset by their portrayal on the show. While there were none to mention, they noted that the disgraced athlete would share his thoughts whenever he was mentioned.
"O.J. used to call up Don Ohlmeyer, who was the head of programming at the network, every Sunday after 'Update,' to do the 'What the hell, Don? I thought you ran this network,'" Downey shared.
"And that would get communicated back to Angela Andaloro Lorne [Michaels]," he continued, noting there was "unrelenting pressure" on Michaels to do something.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Credit: Al Levine/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Downey noted that Michaels was supportive of him and Norm Macdonald, who hosted "Weekend Update" at the time and was often the one who made jokes about Simpson. Even though Macdonald and Downey leaned into a "mean" style of comedy that Downey admitted was a "little rough" for him, he stood by their right to do so.
"I remember him taking me aside, because he was clearly hearing it. He said, 'What makes you and Norm so certain that O.J. is guilty?' And I just went, 'Lorne, come f—ing on,' " he recalled.
"And he said, 'Okay. I think it might be hurting us with our African American audience.' He didn't tell me not to do it, I think he just had to let me know that, 'You have no idea what I have to go through.' "
Simpson was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman in October 1995. Simpson maintained his innocence up until he died of cancer on April 10, 2024, at age 76. The former football star, however, spent nine years in prison stemming from a robbery and kidnapping conviction.
Credit: NBC via Getty
Still, Simpson continued to pressure Ohlmeyer, which would trickle down to Michaels, until there was no recourse. Both Macdonald and Downey were ultimately fired from SNL in 1998.
In a 2014 interview with Vulture, Downey spoke about the firing and explained, "Don, being good friends with O.J., had just had enough."
"That's the thing I kind of liked about Don, actually: His friendship with O.J. was so old-school. It was so un-showbizzy. He ended up firing me, as well as Norm, but I can't honestly say that a part of me doesn't respect Don for his loyalty," he said.
"Most people in show business would sell out anyone in their lives, for any reason at all, including for practice. Don was the opposite," Downey told the outlet. "He threw a party for the jurors after the 1995 acquittal. And he stuck with O.J. through it all."
The writer ultimately returned to SNL in 2000, after Ohlmeyer retired, and is considered among the best of the show's writers.
"I don't know that Norm enjoyed the experience of the firing quite as much as I did, but to me it was exciting," he said. "It was certainly the best press I ever received. We got tremendous support from people I really admire, some of whom are friends and some I didn't really know that well, but who stepped up and called me. It was a fun time."
Read the full article here
