Nicole Brown Simpson’s Ex Recalls Her Love for Kids as Daughter Sydney Lives in ‘Lower-Income’ Area

Nicole Brown Simpson was the mother to two young children when she was tragically murdered, and in a new interview, her former lover, Joseph Perrulli, reflected on the love she had for her kids.

“She was a hyper-vigilant mother. The children were everything,” Perrulli told People in an article published on Friday, June 19.

Nicole and Perrulli dated briefly in 1992 after her separation from O.J. Simpson, with whom she shared daughter Sydney and son Justin. Sydney was just 8 years old when her mother died, and Justin was only 5.

Nicole was found stabbed to death outside her Los Angeles home in June 1994, alongside her friend Ron Goldman. O.J. was charged in connection with their murders but was eventually acquitted, although he was later found liable for their deaths in a civil case. (He died in April 2024 at age 76 following a battle with prostate cancer.)

Despite Nicole and the former NFL star’s tumultuous marriage, Perrulli said that Nicole still wanted her children to be on good terms with their father.

“She spoke openly about her marriage and she wanted her kids to have a good relationship with their father,” he recalled to the outlet. “I was just blown away with how willing she was to forgive and still love someone who had caused her so much pain.”

Perrulli also spoke about a conversation he and Nicole had about Sydney, and he said that her daughter’s name had a special meaning behind it.

“She said, ‘I always knew I wanted to name my child Sydney,'” he said. “A dear friend of hers was a soap opera actress and the name of her character was Sydney.”

Now, at 40 years old, Sydney no longer lives in Los Angeles. Instead, she resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.

In January, the New York Post reported that she had purchased a 955-square-foot condo in the area for $135,000 in December 2020.

“It’s lower-income, they’re poor. They’re on Medicare, Medicaid, you know, SNAP [benefits] if they can get them. There’s no job opportunities — there’s nothing in that section of town,” Peter Gaunt, a longtime resident of the area, told the publication. “Then you get into Downtown and head north, and that’s where the money is.”