O.J. Simpson may be on the outs with, well, just about everyone, but there's at least one issue on which he sides with his critics: The title of his ill-fated book, O.J.: If I Did It, Here's How It Happened, was a bit over the top.
The former football player confessed as much—but no more—in an interview with Miami radio station WTPS-AM Wednesday, in which he attempted to clear up some misconceptions about his hypothetical confession and TV interview.
"That was their title," he said. "That's what they came up with. I didn't pitch anything. I don't make book deals."
He does, however, accept them.
Of the much-disputed issue of his reported $3.5 million compensation, which publisher Judith Regan vehemently denied paying directly to Simpson, and which Simpson's former sister-in-law Denise Brown vehemently claimed had been redirected to Simpson through a secret third party, the acquitted star admitted he had profited from the axed projects.
"Would everyone stop being so naive? Of course I got paid," said Simpson. "I spent the money on my bills. It's gone."
While the acquitted 59-year-old claimed that the reported six-figure sum was not entirely accurate, he did characterize his financial take as a "windfall" that he used, in addition to his outstanding debt, on his children.
Meanwhile, in a separate interview with the Associated Press, Simpson says the only reason he did the book was for the payment, which he characterizes as "blood money."
"This was an opportunity for my kids to get their financial legacy," Simpson said. "My kids understand. I made it clear that it's blood money, but it's no different than any of the other writers who did books on this case."
Simpson did not specify in either interview whether any of the amount went toward the $33.5 million settlement he was ordered to pay to the families of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman, after being found liable for their deaths in a 1995 civil suit. However, Simpson did tell the AP that Ron's father, Fred, had drained the bulk of the Naked Gun star's bank account with "frivolous lawsuits."
Of the massive public outcry that led to the cancellation of both his two-night stunt interview and the would-be memoir—in which he reportedly described in graphic detail how he would have carried out the 1994 slayings of Brown and Goldman, had he done so—Simpson simply said he was used to bearing the brunt of public rage.
"It happens to me every month," he told WTPS. "Everybody's calling me names."
While pundits logged countless hours of airtime theorizing the nature of Simpson's hypothetical tell-all, the football star denied to the radio station that his book was in any way a confession.
When asked straight-out whether or not he killed his ex-wife and her friend, Simpson, as expected, denied any culpability.
"Absolutely not, and I maintained my innocence from day one. No matter what everybody wants to say, I didn't do it," he said. "I have nothing to confess."
To the AP, he further claimed the book's ghostwriter made up the most lurid parts. Simpson said he never spoke with publisher Judith Regan until she interviewed him for the since-scuttled TV project and claims he told her, "I hope nobody reads it."
He also lashed out at News Corp. boss Rupert Murdoch, whose company first touted the book and TV special and then who issued a statement this week terminating both projects, saying he was "sorry" for the "ill-considered" stunts.
"I'm taking heat and I deserve it," Simpson told the wire service. "But Murdoch should not be taking the high road either."
Because the interview was conducted earlier this month, well ahead of its scheduled airing, and thousands of copies of the book had already been shipped out, the Goldman family is attempting to gain control of the rights from News Corp.
Attorney Jonathan G. Polak says the family doesn't want News Corp. peddling the video to a pay-per-view channel or Website, or for copies of the book to show up for sale on eBay.
A spokesman for ReganBooks and HarperCollins says the book has been recalled, and the company will do everything in its power to keep copies under lock. Reps for News Corp. and Fox did not immediately comment.