O.J. Simpson is suing a Las Vegas hotel for defamation following an incident in 2017.
The Cosmopolitan hotel and casino is currently under fire after it allegedly told a celebrity news site he was banned for being drunk and disruptive.
Simpson, currently on parole in Nevada for a 2008 armed robbery and assault with a weapon conviction, was banned from the hotel-casino back in November 2017.
He filed the lawsuit against Nevada Property 1 LLC, the corporate owner of the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, last week.
The suit claims that Simpson received a note from a security guard as he left the venue, explaining he was prohibited from returning. The complainant said he had spent several hours at the property at a steakhouse and lounge and was never given a reason for the ban.
Simpson denied that he was ‘belligerent’ or damaged the property in any way, despite a TMZ report that he was ‘drunk’ and ‘became disruptive’ at the resort’s Clique bar.
His attorney, Malcolm LaVergne, said Simpson’s reputation was damaged by accounts from the hotel staff who spoke to TMZ. The report headlined ‘O.J. Simpson thrown out of Vegas hotel… For Belligerence’ said he was ‘booted’ from the hotel after ‘getting wasted and then being extremely unruly’. It added he was ‘angry at hotel staff and glasses broke at the bar.’
The casino’s spokeswoman, Rachel Henry, has declined to comment on the matter.
LaVergne added that Simpson had been stung by criticism on social media following the accusations.
The alleged events also triggered an unannounced visit from a parole officer as Simpson had been released on parole less than 6 weeks before. After a series of drug and alcohol tests, officials ultimately found that he had not violated his probation, adding the assertions against Simpson were false. TMZ is not a defendant in the lawsuit.
The spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Public Safety, Kim Yoko Smith, declined to comment on the details of the findings, adding state law prohibits disclosure of information about supervision of a parolee.
The well-known figure was convicted in October 2008 of leading five men with two guns between them into a Las Vegas casino hotel to retrieve personal items and memorabilia from two collectibles dealers. Since being freed from prison, he has been living in a gated golf course community.
Adding to the complaint, Simpson claims he is a ‘model parolee’ and described himself as ‘warm and positive’ to those who want photos taken with him. The lawsuit describes him as “a well-known public figure,” college football Heisman Trophy winner and Pro Football Hall of Famer who “has experienced various legal problems.”
If he continues to display good behavior, his parole could end as early as 2022.
Simpson hit the news worldwide after being acquitted of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman. In 1997, however, he was found liable and was ordered to pay $33.5 million to the victims’ families.
