O.J. Simpson’s "If I Did It" Interview and Book Cancelled by Fox

The American public was shocked and appalled when it was announced that O.J. Simpson had written a book talking about how he would have killed his wife if he had been guilty—and that shock was intensified when the network said it was going to air a two-part interview with Simpson talking about the same thing.

Several Fox affiliate stations had issued statements in recent days saying that they would not broadcast the special, saying that they did not think that airing it was "in the public interest." Many editorials around the country echoed that sentiment.

Suddenly on Monday Fox News Corp. decided they agreed. Rupert Murdoch, Fox News Corp. chairman, said the network has canceled the publication of If I Did It and the two-part interview, both of which have Simpson discussing the murders of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman. "I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project," said Murdoch. "We are sorry for any pain that this has caused the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson."

Ron Goldman’s father, who calls Simpson a narcissistic, murdering sociopath without a conscience, spoke with the ABC News last week about the book and the planned interview. "He destroyed my son and took from my family Ron’s future and life. And for that I’ll hate him always and find him despicable."

Simpson was acquitted in 1995 of murder in the 1994 killings of Nicole and Goldman. He was later found liable for their deaths in a wrongful-death suit filed by Ron Goldman’s family, but so far has failed to pay any part of the $33.5 million judgment.

If I Did It was scheduled to be released on November 30. The Fox network had planned to air the two-part interview on November 27 and 29. The interview was conducted by Judith Regan, the publisher of the book, who said that she considers the book to be Simpson’s confession.