O.J. Simpson, calling in to a live television program to deny leaked details of his sworn deposition, said Monday he has "no doubt" his ex-wife's slaying was linked to drug problems of her friend Faye Resnick.
Simpson's comments on CNN's legal affairs show "Burden of Proof" was consistent with his defense team's theory that Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Gold-man may have been killed by drug dealers seeking revenge against Resnick.The ex-football star, acquitted last October of murdering the pair, also denied his ex-wife kept a diary documenting incidents of alleged domestic abuse and said it was a ploy by her lawyers to get him to tear up a prenuptial agreement.
He explained during the program why he led police on a car chase five days after the slayings and why he had a false beard and gun with him, and he again accused Los Angeles police of planting blood evidence against him.
He also took potshots at prosecutors in his murder trial, saying he was initially impressed with Marcia Clark's passion but later decided she was "devious" and calling Christopher Darden an "unhappy person," adding, "I'm not too fond of him."
The show, which features lawyers debating legal issues, was discussing Simpson's sworn deposition last month in the wrongful-death civil suit brought by the Brown and Goldman families. Details of his secret deposition were leaked to the Los Angeles Times and published Saturday.
Ronald Goldman's sister, Kim, gave her deposition in the lawsuit Monday, with Simpson's lawyers apparently trying to portray the Goldman family as dysfunctional in an effort to lessen any damages for "emotional distress" the family might be awarded if it wins. The trial is set for April 2.
"They asked about my brother's life, his relationship with my father and my birth-mother (who is divorced). It was a little insulting that they were trying to attack my brother's character," Kim Gold-man told reporters afterward.
Fred Goldman, who has been public in his belief that Simpson murdered his son, was asked about Simpson's TV comments: "Maybe it's not a terrible surprise. Maybe it's damage control, given that there was so much information in the paper about his deposition," he said.
Brown family lawyer John Kelly characterized Simpson's comments as "a disgraceful and shameless effort to promote his video" - a reference to a mail-order video Simpson is marketing in which he talks about the case.