‘The People v. O.J. Simpson,’ Episode 3: Our Fact-Checking Recap
Let’s stop for a second and give thanks to this first go-round of Ryan Murphy‘s American Crime Story franchise: It not only explains the O.J. saga to Millennials who might’ve been too busy watching the Power Rangers at the time, but also creates an origin story for the first family of reality TV. (Also, thanks again for John Travolta. Always for John Travolta.) By now we’ve gotten to know David Schwimmer’s Robert Kardashian pretty well — a lawyer-turned-businessman with streak in his hair that would impress Frankenstein’s bride. And finally, in Episode Three, we get to spend some more quality time with his soon-to-be-famous children and hear the opinions of his already somewhat famous wife.
But in the month after the murders, as both sides gathered their teams and prepared arguments, a lot was happening. The writers on this episode had a real challenge here re: fitting in a lot of tedious legal backstory, so it’s no wonder that they strayed here and there from the show’s source material, Jeffery Toobin’s 1996 book The Run of His Life. Check out these five details from Episode Three, fact-checked and rated on a one-to-five “Gloves” scale for accuracy.
Robert Kardashian is uninterested in fame or publicity
“We are Kardashians,” Schwimmer’s character tells his children over a Fathers’ Day brunch. “And in this family, being a good person and a loyal friend is more important than being famous. Fame is fleeting. It’s hollow. It means nothing at all without a virtuous heart.” This is a nice thought, albeit an ironic one given the direction his family went after his death in 2003. But it seems like a far cry from the Kardashian who Toobin described in his book, one who was so upset over his ex’s departure and new life with a former Olympian that he was willing to use this opportunity to get a little public exposure.
“Kardashian’s divorce from Kristen pained him, especially because she left him for Bruce Jenner,” he writes. “At the time of the murders they were starring in a frequently played infomercial for a thigh-exercising device. According to a close associate of Kardashian’s, ‘It bothered him that she was on TV all the time with the ThighMaster. This case was his way to step over them. This was better than infomercials.'” It was, in fact, a series of workout videos called “Super Fit With Bruce and Kris Jenner” and not informercials for that product — Suzanne Somers had the thigh devices covered — but Kardashian still managed to get a much larger audience with the case. (1/5 Gloves)
Kris Jenner believes O.J. killed Nicole, and it split the family
“How do you expect me to act, while you’re standing by him?” demands Selma Blair as the former Mrs. Kardashian. “You’re turning your back on Nicole. He butchered her, Robert. He murdered her!” There were, as the show presents, two clear sides. Kris felt guilty for not intervening more in what she knew to be a violent relationship, and Robert stood blindly by his friend, whether or not he understood that O.J. was guilty. “I definitely took my dad’s side,” Kim told Rolling Stone last year. “We just always thought my dad was the smartest person in the world.” (5/5 Gloves)