How Kato Kaelin Really Feels About The OJ Simpson Case
Brian "Kato" Kaelin became famous amid his televised testimony during the 1995 trial of O.J. Simpson. Simpson stood accused of the June 12, 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. As reported by Biography, Kaelin was living in a guest house on Simpson's Brentwood, California estate when the murder occurred.
During the trial, Kaelin, who was called by the prosecution, testified that he heard a "thumping noise" against one of the outside walls of the house. However, he did not see anything, or anyone, when he went outside. He also testified that he and Simpson spent time together earlier that same evening. As reported by Famous Trials, Kaelin's testimony also covered his friendship with Nicole Brown Simpson, whom he met before knowing Simpson.
Kaelin's participation in the trial thrust him into the spotlight. So much so that according to Slate, a poll taken shortly after the verdict revealed that 74% of Americans recognized Kaelin's face, compared to 25% who recognized the face of then-Vice President Al Gore.
Simpson was ultimately acquitted for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, and Kaelin seemingly vanished from the spotlight soon thereafter. However, he has worked as an actor, a producer, and a member of several casting departments, according to IMDb. Most recently he appeared in the 2019 version of "Celebrity Big Brother." Kaelin has also been surprisingly candid about his involvement in the O.J. Simpson trial and his opinion about Simpson's guilt.
Kato Kaelin thought the jury made a mistake
After the conclusion of the trial, Kato Kaelin said he received multiple threats from people who assumed he lied during his testimony in an effort to secure O.J. Simpson's acquittal. As reported by Daily Mail, Kaelin said, "That trial ruined my life. People would want to pick fights with me all the time ... I really became a pariah."
During the 2016 interview, Kaelin said he was still being blamed for the jury's decision to acquit Simpson. He also criticized the media's portrayal of him as "the pool boy" and "the freeloader."
During a 2015 interview with Barbara Walters, Kaelin said he thought the jury made a mistake when the jury found Simpson not guilty. In the interview, via ABC News, Kaelin told Walters his suspicion about Simpson's involvement in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman stemmed from an incident that happened in the hours after they were killed while he was with Simpson.
Kato Kaelin believes O.J. Simpson was guilty
ABC News reported that on the evening of the murders Simpson booked a flight to Chicago and Kaelin was helping him load his luggage into a limo that would take him to the airport. Kaelin told Walters he attempted to grab a black bag, which he said "looked like a backpack," when Simpson said, "Don't touch that bag."
Kaelin said he has no idea what was in the bag — which was never found — however, he added, "Something in there was enough for O.J. Simpson to say, 'Don't touch.'"
When Simpson was released on parole for an unrelated charge in 2017, Kaelin told ET Online, "I think O.J. probably is the luckiest man to even be out of prison because, let's face it, in my opinion, he got the biggest break of his life because I thought he was guilty in his murder trial."
In a 2017 interview with KTVU, Kaelin was asked whether he had any regrets about knowing O.J. and Nicole Brown Simpson. Kaelin said he cannot change the past and is more interested in moving forward. However, he said he wishes the focus had remained on "the tragic murder of two young people," as opposed to everyone else, including himself, who was involved in the case.