Marcus Allen Says O.J. Asked Him To Lie Allen Also Denies Having Affair With Victim, Lawyers Say After Deposition In Civil Lawsuit
Marcus Allen testified in a wrongful death lawsuit Friday that he wouldn’t take the witness stand at O.J. Simpson’s murder trial because Simpson wanted him to say things that weren’t true, attorneys said.
The Kansas City Chiefs running back also ‘totally refuted and denied” Simpson’s claims that Allen had an affair with Simpson’s slain ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, said Dan Petrocelli, a lawyer representing the father of murder victim Ron Goldman.
A jury acquitted Simpson of the 1994 murders of Goldman and Nicole Simpson. Their families are now pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit in an attempt to hold Simpson responsible. The lawsuit is to come to trial Sept. 9.
Allen, who like Simpson is a former winner of the Heisman Trophy as college football’s top player, testified for more than three hours during a closed-door deposition.
Attorney John Kelly, who represents Nicole Simpson’s estate, said Allen told how he refused Simpson’s jailhouse request that he testify at the murder trial because Simpson wanted him to say things that weren’t true.
He also denied Simpson’s claim that he and Nicole Simpson had an affair in 1993, adding that he and his wife were close friends of Nicole Simpson, but nothing more, said attorney Michael Brewer, who represents Goldman’s mother, Sharon Rufo.
Simpson has said he forgave and welcomed Allen back as a friend despite the affair. His defense lawyers said that showed Simpson wasn’t capable of the jealous rage prosecutors say motivated him to kill.
Allen also disagreed with Simpson’s statements that his ex-wife was depressed and upset in the weeks before the killings, Kelly said.
Allen has refused to comment publicly.
Lawyers for Simpson left the offices where the deposition was taken before reporters were allowed in.