- The Washington Times - Wednesday, February 17, 2021

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson likened himself to O.J. Simpson on Wednesday as he struggled to put on a pair of gloves while visiting a coronavirus vaccination center in Cwmbran, South Wales.

Mr. Johnson referenced one of the most iconic moments from Simpson’s infamous double-murder trial as the prime minister tried to put on a pair of medical gloves while touring the facility.

“I’ve got it, I’ve got it, I’ve got it,” Mr. Johnson, 56, insistently told a health care worker as he attempted to put on a tight-fitting blue glove. “It’s like O.J. Simpson!”

Mr. Johnson, the current leader of the U.K. Conservative Party and former mayor of London, was 30 years old when Simpson experienced something not dissimilar while on trial for double homicide.

Prosecutors had asked Simpson, a former professional football player and actor, to try on a pair of gloves that were introduced as evidence that he allegedly murdered his ex-wife and her friend. One glove had been found near where police discovered the bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, and the other was discovered by detectives at the defendant’s nearby residence, prosecutors said.

The gloves were too small for Simpson, leading defense lawyer Johnnie Cochran to famously instruct jurors: “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” They later found him not guilty of all counts.

Simpson, while acquitted during his criminal trial, was separately found civilly liable for the deaths. He also later served nine years in prison for robbing a sports memorabilia dealer in 2007.

Simpson, 73, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He shared a photo online last month that showed him being vaccinated against COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.

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