Nicole Simpson lived life in the Hollywood fast lane. And now defense attorneys are planning to lift the lid on her free-spending, hard-partying lifestyle.
Friends say Nicole tried desperately to spend her way to happiness after her divorce from O.J.
“Nicole liked fast cars and young handsome guys,” says a source close to the beautiful blonde. “Even though she was a 35-year-old mom, she looked and lived like she was still in her 20s.
“And why not? She certainly didn’t look a day over 30. Of course she worked hard on her body. Nothing that good comes easy,”
“She jogged seven days a week down a 3-mile path around Brentwood Country Club or San Vicente Boulevard. She also had a personal trainer at Pro Gym.
“Nicole loved spending money,” says one of her pals. “After her divorce, she felt she could spend more freely since O.J. wasn’t constantly looking over her shoulder. When she was married to him, she’d sometimes have to hide the more expensive things because O.J. would become irate over the bills.
“Buying expensive clothes and jewelry made Nicole happy, she once said “The only happiness I have with O.J. is that he pays the bills. If I had the money, I’d leave him for good.”
But Nicole’s sister insists: “She loved O.J. She didn’t care if he was a football player or dirt digger. They were really great for each other.”
She lived with him for six years before they married in 1985. When she filed for divorce on Feb 25, 1992, court documents revealed she’d begun living with O.J. when she was only 19, often shuttling back and forth between Los Angeles and San Francisco to be at her lover’s side.
Nicole also described the plush pleasures and lavish comforts of her married lifestyle – which included a $6,000-per-month spending allowance, the couple’s $5-million Brentwood mansion and a $1.9-million summer home in Laguna Beach.
“The house was never rented but just used for our social enjoyment,” Nicole said of their pad by the sea. “The lifestyle that O.J. and I shared was truly substantial. We traveled first class and sometimes by private jet.”
There were frequent trips to Aspen, Las Vegas, Hawaii and Mexico. “After the divorce, it was hard for Nicole to give it all up. So she chose not to,” says a friend.
Even though Nicole gave her undivided attention to her kids, she never deprived herself of a good time.
“Nicole Simpson commanded attention the minute she stepped into a room,” says Philip Cummins, the owner of Santa Monica’s Renaissance Club, where the doomed beauty and her pals were Thursday-night regulars.
“She was a beautiful woman, always surrounded by friends. She was a woman who liked to have a good time. She knew how to party. She usually came in from 9pm until 2am and spent a lot of time drinking shots of her favourite tequila at the bar… She never seemed out of control.”
Cummins told STAR he once saw Nicole at the dance club with Ron Goldman, the 25-year-old waiter who was slain at her side.
“They just seemed like really good friends. I didn’t see them acting any more affectionate than a pair of buddies. They were both fun-loving people who liked to have a good time,” he says.
Star Magazine (July 12 1994)
Nicole Brown Simpson Remembered. 