Final answer:
Nicole Brown Simpson and O. J. Simpson were divorced two years before her death. O. J. Simpson was acquitted in criminal court but found responsible in a civil case for wrongful death, owing millions in punitive damages.
Step-by-step explanation:
At the time of Nicole Brown Simpson's death, she and former professional football player and television personality O. J. Simpson were officially divorced. The couple had completed their divorce two years prior to the tragic event. However, after Nicole's death, O. J. Simpson was tried for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. Simpson was acquitted in a criminal court, but he was later found legally responsible for their deaths in a civil case. This decision led to Simpson being ordered to pay punitive damages for the wrongful death of Nicole Simpson and Goldman, ultimately resulting in a significant loss of his wealth as he was forced to forfeit most of his assets to meet the financial judgment against him.