Nicole Brown Simpson’s ex, Joseph Perrulli, is speaking out, detailing why their relationship ended.
When speaking with PEOPLE, he recalled when he first met Nicole, having been introduced through Kris Jenner. At the time, she was married to O.J. Simpson, but she and Perrulli began dating in 1992 after her seperation. However, it was Simpson’s behavior that ultimately led to Perrulli and Nicole breaking up.
Perrulli talks about the relationship in his new book, The Forgotten Briefcase. And in the conversation with PEOPLE, he said that he recently found photos and letter that he had put away because he “purposefully tried to forget for the better part of 33 years.”
“I rediscovered who this woman was,” he said. “She was far different than what had been portrayed — more spiritual and more down-to-earth — and I felt it was incumbent upon me to tell her story.”
Joseph Perrulli Was Warned About O.J. Simpson Before Dating Nicole
Before he began dating Nicole, Perrulli received a warning from Caitlyn Jenner (who was known by Bruce at that time), that said, “Her only problem is O.J.”
That went along with a night when he was invited back to the house by Nicole after the two had dinner, and as he was leaving, he got an “eerie feeling.”
“I walked to my car and kept feeling the need to look over my shoulder,” Perrulli added.
A week later, a neighbor told Nicole she had seen Simpson outside in the bushes that night. Perrulli recalled what happened when Nicole confronted her ex-husband.
“He said he just happened to be driving by and wanted to make sure everything was okay,” Perrulli said. “He also said he really didn’t have a problem with me. He felt I was a gentleman.”
Based on this behavior by Simpson, Perrulli referred to himself as a “man divided in two.”
“One side of me was falling in love, and the other side was wondering if love was even possible with someone in a situation like hers,” he said.
But he decided to end the relationship because he “didn’t think I could live my life like this, feeling like this man’s lurking everywhere I go,” referring to Simpson. And after he left, he “collected all the things we’d shared — the books, my journals, the letters — and I put it in my briefcase, and I hid it.”
Joseph Perrulli Recalls Meeting O.J. Simpson On Set of a Commercial
GettyPerrulli also recalled when he met Simpson, which happened on the set of a Hertz rental car commercial.
“He was looking at me and said, ‘Hey, don’t I know you?’ I said, ‘I’m Joseph, Kris’s friend,’ and shook hands,” Perrulli explained. “I remember thinking he’s so charismatic. It’s hard to imagine that what I was sensing and these rumors of abuse going around were true.”
