Years before her murder, Nicole Brown Simpson confided in Joseph Perrulli, a former lover, that she would “rather die than go back to” her estranged husband, O.J. Simpson, according to Perrulli’s new memoir, “The Forgotten Briefcase.” Perrulli, who dated Nicole Brown Simpson in 1992 after she separated from the football star, recounted their relationship and her struggles with domestic abuse.
Nicole Brown Simpson reportedly told Perrulli that O.J. Simpson had beaten her severely, causing her to black out. “I just prayed something like that would never happen again. But it did. I'd rather die than go back to that man,” she told him tearfully.
Perrulli, who met Nicole Brown Simpson through Kris Jenner in 1989, reconnected with her in 1992 when she had filed for divorce from O.J. Simpson. He described her as transformed, a “vivacious woman taking control of her life,” despite an underlying sadness he sensed.
During their brief romance, Perrulli recalled a warning from then-Bruce Jenner, who said, “O.J. will always be her problem.” Perrulli also noted that O.J. Simpson’s cologne, Paco Rabanne, was a scent Nicole Brown Simpson wore, and he later saw O.J. lurking outside her home, confirming her fears.
Perrulli's book details how Nicole Brown Simpson was hesitant to discuss the abuse she endured but eventually confided in him. She described an incident where O.J. Simpson lost control, hitting her so hard that she felt she was going to be killed and went numb from the pain.
Despite the abuse, Perrulli said Nicole Brown Simpson was focused on raising her children, Sydney and Justin, and embracing her newfound independence. However, encounters with O.J. Simpson, including one where he waited near her home with their children, unnerved Perrulli, who described seeing