Shaleah Craighead, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons / Gerald Johnson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, Cropped by Resist the Mainstream

One of the leading American newspapers appeared to confuse the identities of football player Orenthal James “O.J.” Simpson and former President Donald Trump in an obituary for the former, sparking mirth across social media.

The recent passing of the controversial football legend and actor O.J. Simpson has been a major topic in news outlets across the United States. However, it seems that the Los Angeles Times had another prominent figure on its mind while writing Simpson's obituary: former President Donald Trump.

In an obituary posted by the LA Times, there was a notable error where Trump was mistakenly named as the individual who left Lovelock Correctional Facility after incarceration in 2017, instead of Simpson. This mistake was highlighted in an archived version of the report.

While the obituary only uses the surname “Trump,” most readers have assumed that the typo refers to Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, as opposed to other individuals with that surname, such as his father Fred Trump, a prominent New York real estate tycoon who battled Robert Moses for the future of Coney Island, or Donald L. Trump, a Virginia-based oncologist with no relation to the presumptive Republican nominee.

“LA Times with quite the typo in its obituary for OJ Simpson,” author Dan Berger wrote on X, sharing a screenshot of the error.

The relationship between Trump and Simpson dates back to the early 1990s when Simpson attended the wedding of Trump and Marla Maples in 1993, as reported by Inside Edition.

While many know Simpson for his legendary football career, O.J.'s life also featured a darker side. Simpson was even tried for murder for eleven months spanning 1994 to 1995. It is this saga which appears to have brought the two controversial celebrities apart.

However, following Simpson's trial for the murder of Nicole Brown and her friend, Ronald Goldman, it appears that the two drifted apart. Although Simpson was acquitted by a jury, Trump expressed his opinion to Howard Stern in 2008, saying, “I realized [Simpson] killed his wife.”

Trump further added, “I don’t like people that kill their wives,” as reported by CNN.

Simpson passed away on Thursday after a battle with prostate cancer, according to a statement released by his family on X.

“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace,” the Simpson family stated.

Simpson's trial for the murder of Brown and Goldman is often referred to as “The Trial of the Century” and remains one of the most iconic and divisive legal cases in American history. Although he was found not guilty in 1995, a civil court later held him responsible for the deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million to the families of the deceased.