Kim Kardashian’s attempt to purchase her late father’s bible for $15,000 from the estate of O.J. Simpson was denied – but the reality star will still have a chance to get the prized possession back.
The executor of Simpson’s estate, Malcolm LaVergne, started to auction off some of the late NFL player’s items to pay off outstanding debts. One of these items is a bible that Robert Kardashian Sr. gave to Simpson the day after he was arrested in 1994 on suspicion of killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman.
“OJ, This book will help,” the late Kardashian, who died in 2003 after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer, wrote inside the bible. “God loves and he will speak to you with his words. Read this book everyday. God has a definite plan for your life. You are his child and he will use you again. I love you and God loves you.”
The Skims founder has attempted to buy the bible for $15,000, but LaVergne revealed in an interview with People that the request was denied because it had been under contract with the court to be auctioned off.
“The amount is why I had no choice, because why would I spend $15,000 of estate money — why would I spend $15,000 in attorney’s fees — to sell it to Kim for $15,000?” he said. “That’s a zero-sum game. That’s a bad business model. If Kim had offered $150,000 for it, we would’ve been in court getting this approved outside of the auction.”
Kim does have the ability to bid on the bible using the auction site. It currently has a $9,800 bid as of Friday afternoon, but bidding does not end until March 29.
“She may even get it cheaper than the 15 grand, so who knows,” LaVergne added.
In addition to giving Simpson the bible, Robert also famously defended and helped acquit him when he was put on trial in 1995.
Robert married Kristen Mary Houghton (now known as Kris Jenner) in 1978 and they welcomed four children — Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Robert Kardashian Jr .— who all referred to Simpson and his former wife as “Uncle OJ” and “Auntie Nicole.”
However, Robert’s decision to defend Simpson divided his family. During the trial, Kris was spotted sitting on the prosecution side of the courtroom in support of Nicole. Kim, 43, previously admitted the trial put a strain on their family in a conversation with Dr. Phil in 2009.
Simpsons’ trial was dramatized in Ryan Murphy’s 2016 award-winning series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Friends star, David Schwimmer played Robert Kardashian in the show.
“I loved it,” Kim said in June 2024, adding: “Some people were over, and they hadn’t seen it, and I had watched it years and years ago and I wanted to see if my recollection was right on the portrayal of my dad.
“And I thought it was done so well, and I remember asking Ryan, ‘Who were your sources? Because that was my dad’s exact bracelet. That was our home!’” Kardashian said.
