Kim Goldman Can't Forgive

Don’t tell her she needs to find closure. Don’t ask her to forgive and forget. When Kim was just 22, her older brother, Ron Goldman, was brutally killed by O.J. Simpson. Ron and Kim were very close, and her devastation was compounded by the shocking not guilty verdict that allowed a smirking Simpson to leave as a free man. It wasn't Kim’s first trauma. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she and Ron were raised by their father. Her mother kidnapped her, telling her that her father didn’t love her any more. When she was 14, she was almost blinded from severe battery acid burns on her face during an automobile accident, requiring three reconstructive surgeries. But none of these early traumas compared to the loss of her brother, the painful knowledge that his killer was free, and fact that she could not even grieve privately – her grief was made painfully public. Counseled by friends, strangers and even Oprah to “find closure,” Kim chose a different route. She chose to fight. Repeatedly, Kim and her family pursued Simpson by every legal means. Foiled over and over again, they ultimately achieved a small measure of justice. Kim’s story is one of tragedy, but also of humanity and, often, comedy. Living life as one of America’s most famous “victims” isn’t always easy, especially as a single mother in the dating market. She often had bizarre first date experiences, with one man even breaking down into tears and inconsolable with grief after realizing who she was. Ultimately Kim’s story is that of an ordinary person thrown into extraordinary circumstances at a very young age, and who had the courage – despite the discouragement of so many – to ignore the conventional wisdom and never give up her fight for justice. 1) Kim’s letter to Simpson in jail, attempting to meet with and talk to the killer behind bars. Kim’s motivation for writing the letter and setting up a meeting with Simpson. 2) Kim’s private and revealing conversation with Simpson’s attorney, Yale Galanter, and the compromising terms Galanter set forth as part of their agreement to meet the killer in jail. 3) Kim suffered first, second and third degree acid burns on her face, neck and eyes from a car accident with a drunk driver when she was 13 years old, leaving her with massive scars. Her brother Ron pulled her from the wreckage. The impact that event had on her confidence and self-image at such a young age. 3) Kim’s father’s cancer and his identifiable mustache. When Kim was a toddler, her father went through chemotherapy losing his hair, most notably his mustache. That mustache now symbolizes to Kim that Fred is “cancer free”. 4) Kim’s kidnapping. Telling her children that their father didn’t want them, Kim’s birth mother kidnapped Kim and Ron away from their father when they were 4 and 7, keeping them for a few days until Fred was able to obtain an order from the court to get his children back. 5) Killer in the parking lot. Kim contemplated running Simpson down in a parking lot as she saw him one day, alone, vulnerable, standing before her car. 6) Challenges of balancing public and private life. Pursuing justice in the country’s most famous case while raising a child as a single parent, earn a living, and advocate for victims’ rights, has been challenging. 7) Closure, forgiveness and the healing process. Kim’s perspective on these topics is different from many others. She hates the word “closure” and certainly can’t forgive someone for murdering her brother in cold blood. For Kim, healing means fighting and forging ahead in a world she knows will never be the same without her loved one.