AP Exclusive: Ex-manager says OJ Simpson confessed
By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent
2 hours, 45 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES - A memorabilia dealer who profited from O.J. Simpson for many years is the latest former crony to write a tell-all book, this one alleging a groggy Simpson, high on marijuana, confessed to killing his ex-wife after he was acquitted.

Mike Gilbert also claims he helped his former friend wiggle out of the murder charges by suggesting how to bloat his hands so they wouldn't fit the notorious bloody gloves.

Gilbert's book, "How I Helped O.J. Get Away With Murder: The Shocking Inside Story of Violence, Loyalty, Regret and Remorse" (Regnery Publishing, 232 pages, $27.95), is due in stores Monday. It was released to The Associated Press in advance.

He said Simpson had smoked pot, took a sleeping pill and was drinking beer when he confided at his Brentwood home weeks after his trial what happened the night of June 12, 1994. Simpson said he went to his ex-wife's condominium, but did not bring a knife with him. Simpson told him Nicole Brown Simpson had one in her hand when she opened the door.

In a soft mumble, Simpson told him: "If she hadn't opened that door with a knife in her hand ... she'd still be alive."

"Nothing more needed to be said," Gilbert writes. "O.J. had confessed to me. There's no doubt in my mind."

Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman were stabbed to death at the entrance to her condominium. The knife was never found.

Simpson's current lawyer Yale Galanter said none of Gilbert's claims are true and that Gilbert is "a delusional drug addict who needs money. He's fallen on very hard times. He is in trouble with the IRS."

"I've talked to O.J. about it," said Galanter, who refused to allow Simpson to comment directly because of his upcoming robbery trial in Las Vegas. "This stuff not only didn't occur but it's not factually supported by the evidence."

The name calling and accusations on both sides showed that deep wounds persist.

In a phone interview, Gilbert called Galanter "an ambulance chaser and an enabler and denier for O.J. I know. I used to do the same thing. I understand the game."

He acknowledged he has IRS problems which he says were caused by Simpson but said, "I could take a drug test and pass it. I highly doubt that O.J. could."

Gilbert is the second sports memorabilia dealer to write a Simpson book this year. Thomas Riccio, who arranged a Las Vegas memorabilia sale that led to Simpson's armed robbery arrest, penned "Busted" last month.

Simpson himself participated in the controversial book, "If I Did It," which he claimed was not a confession. It was withdrawn by the publisher and eventually released last year by the Goldman family to help satisfy a $33.5 million wrongful death judgment.

Gilbert said he continued to represent Simpson for another decade after the alleged confession, hawking items with his autograph, hiding the profits and helping Simpson shield his possessions so they could not be seized by the Goldman family.

Gilbert also claims that he counseled the jailed Simpson during his murder trial to stop taking his arthritis medicine so his hands would swell up and not fit the bloody gloves in court. He offers no proof Simpson followed his advice or that he was taking any medicine, but the drama that played out in court when the gloves didn't fit was central to Simpson's defense.

The prosecutors in Simpson's murder trial, Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden, could not immediately be reached for comment on Gilbert's claims.

Former Gilbert partner Bruce Fromong, who was involved in the Vegas incident, said Gilbert is known for spinning tall tales.

"Mike makes up a lot of great stories," said Fromong. "Mike Gilbert has a ton of skeletons in his closet. He's as dirty as anyone."

Gilbert said he broke with Simpson two years ago because he felt cheated, didn't approve of his lifestyle and was repulsed by "If I Did It." He writes that he was guided to do his own the book by dreams in which he saw the ghosts of his dead grandmother and of Nicole Brown Simpson.

He refers to himself in the book as a "Judas," and says he is betraying Simpson because he's ashamed of what he did and wants to soothe his conscience. He responded to Fromong's criticism by saying he's made mistakes and isn't trying to clean up his image with the book.

He writes that he was not alone in helping Simpson beat the murder charges, but "I hope to be the first to finally confess."

Gilbert said he funneled money from autograph signing appearances to Simpson under the table so the Goldman family could not get it. Gilbert said he paid Simpson 80 percent, kept 20 percent but had to pay taxes on the whole amount. He said Simpson repeatedly told him they'd settle up later.

But they never did and when pushed Simpson reminded him of the Goldman debt: "Hey, at least you don't owe $33.5 million."

"Yeah, I didn't kill anybody either," Gilbert replied. Simpson scowled.

He offers apologies to the dead Nicole Simpson, whom he said he never liked, and to the Goldman family.

"He offers an apology for money laundering?" said Goldman attorney David Cook. "I don't think we want the apology. I think we need the money. Send us a check, not an I'm sorry."

He said he plans to use the book as a treasure map to Simpson's hidden assets.

Gilbert, 53, was a childhood fan of Simpson who was thrilled when another client, football great Marcus Allen, introduced them and they began doing business together.

Gilbert wrote in his book that he was admitted to a world of privilege and he got caught up in a power trip in which he believed he was better than "ordinary people."

Gilbert blames himself and other Simpson friends for failing to act when they detected domestic violence in the Simpson marriage. But he says each time there was a fight between the couple or a call by Nicole to police it was dismissed as part of their obsession with each other or they pretended it didn't happen.

"O.J. mattered more," he said. "The fringe benefits that came with being one of O.J.'s friends mattered more — or at least we thought they did."

Gilbert wrote the book for many reasons. It wasn't just to make money or hurt Simpson.

"Nothing can hurt O.J.," he said in an interview. "He doesn't have the emotions we have."

In a chapter on the Las Vegas case, he acknowledges that Simpson was in search of memorabilia he believed Gilbert stole from him, including the suit he wore the day he was acquitted.

"I never sold the suit, not even when I was dead broke," he writes. "At least that's something small to be proud of."

But Gilbert does acknowledge that he unsuccessfully tried to sell the suit at one point — before he sold his book.

If I OJ, I'd definitely tell a memorabilia dealer I did it. You can't trust friends and family, but everyone can trust a memorabilia dealer.

__________________
1984 300TD

Ha!

It's true: The only trustworthy family member is one with a slit throat.

Well, well ...

__________________

One day in the future, OJ Simpson has a heart- attack
> and dies. He
> immediately goes to hell, where the devil is waiting
> for him.
>
> "I don't know what to do here," says the devil. "You
> are on my list,
> but I have no room for you. You definitely have to
> stay here, so I'll
> tell you what I'm going to do. I've got a couple of
> folks here who weren't
> quite as bad as you. I'll let one of them go, but you
> have
> to take their place. I'll even let YOU decide who
> leaves."
>
> OJ thought that sounded pretty good, so the devil
> opened the door to
> the first room. In it was Ted Kennedy and a large
> pool of water. Ted kept
> diving in, and surfacing, empty handed. Over, and
> over, and over he
> dove in and surfaced with nothing. Such was h is fate
> in hell.
>
> "No," OJ said. "I don't think so. I'm not a good
> swimmer, and I don't
> think I could do that all day long."
>
> The devil led him to the door of the next room. In it
> was Al Gore with
> a sledgehammer and a room full of rocks. All he did
> was swing that
> hammer, time after time after time.
>
> "No, this is no good; I've got this problem with my
> shoulder. I would
> be in constant agony if all I could do was break
> rocks all day,
> "commented OJ.
>
> The devil opened a third door. Through it, OJ saw Bill
> Clinton, lying
> on the bed, his arms tied over his head , and his legs
> restrained in a
> spread-eagle pose. Bent over him was Monica Lewinsky,
> doing what she does
> best.
>
> OJ looked at this in shocked disbelief, and finally
> said, "Yeah man, I
> can handle this."
>
> The devil smiled and said . . . . . .
>
> "OK, Monica, you're free to go."

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

Do you ever tell jokes where the butt is a Republican?

Tom W

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

LOL, that was funny. Mr Clinton would probably think it was a fairy tale. The Clintons are something else, aren't they!

No. The Dimmercrats offer far too many good targets.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

OJ did it? You mean the one glove at the crime scene and one IN HIS BACKYARD don't do it? Blood all over the outside and inside HIS FREAKING BRONCO doesn't do it? The trial was a farce - it should have been easy. It sounds like another idiot trying to profit for himself.

__________________
- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

Plenty of that in real life. Palangi is trying to find some relief.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

OMG- You mean he killed them? Shock, horror and dismay. Now onto the glove- it was leather and what happens to glove leather when it gets wet be it with water or blood- it shrinks.

__________________
"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL