The television network Fox, a sister to HarperCollins via News Corporation at the time, was to also broadcast an interview special with Simpson to promote the book, O.J.

In August 2007, a Florida bankruptcy court awarded the rights to the book to the Goldman family to partially satisfy the civil judgment.

[10] Simpson ignores Charlie's advice and continues to Nicole's condo, where he finds and confronts Ron Goldman.

[2] The book was unofficially announced in the National Enquirer in late October 2006;[16] this was immediately denied by Simpson's lawyer.

[19][20] If I Did It ignited a storm of pre-publication controversy, largely due to the perception that Simpson was trying to profit from the two deaths for which his civil suit verdict had found him liable.

"[17] Patricia Schroeder, president and chief executive of the Association of American Publishers, felt that the book would "stir an awful lot of debate and make the culture take a real look at itself, and that may not be unhealthy".

"[21][22] The proposed book also outraged the family of Ron Goldman, who criticized the publisher for "helping a murderer get his voice out there".

Fred Goldman, Ron's father, was awarded $33.5 million by a jury in 1997 for the wrongful death of his son; however, Simpson never paid this judgment due to a California law that prevents pensions from being used to satisfy judgments, and the fact that the bulk of his income comes from his NFL pension.

Goldman described the book and television interview as "an all-time low" and "morally reprehensible to me ... to think you are willing to give somebody airtime about how they would murder two people.

"[21] The day after the announcement of its publication, an online boycott encouraged Americans to ignore the book and complain to publishers and booksellers.

"[34] On November 16, 2006, Regan issued a statement claiming that her reason for recording the interview and releasing the book was an attempt to find closure after having been a battered woman herself.

"[35] Over a dozen Fox affiliates refused to carry the special, or decided to air it, but devote local advertising time to public service announcements.

KSFX-TV in Springfield, Missouri,[28] WPGH-TV in Pittsburgh, and WWCP-TV in Johnstown-Altoona-State College, Pennsylvania area, were the first to turn down the special on November 17, 2006,[36] along with KAYU-TV in Spokane, Washington,[37] and WDRB in Louisville, Kentucky.

[38] Pappas Telecasting also planned to pre-empt the program on their Fox stations in four markets,[39] along with Fox affiliates KNDX in Bismarck-Minot, North Dakota;[40] KMPH-TV in Fresno, California; KPTH in Sioux City, Iowa; KTVG-TV in Lincoln, Superior and Grand Island, Nebraska; and KPTM in Omaha, Nebraska.

Fox affiliates KCPQ in Seattle—owned by Tribune Company—and XETV in San Diego/Tijuana—were both reportedly undecided; each indicated that if they aired the special, they would not sell local ad time, instead giving that time to local domestic violence groups to air public service announcements.

In the statement, News Corporation chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch said, "I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project.

[45] James Wolcott of Vanity Fair also obtained a "pristine hardcover" copy of the book for a review published in January 2007.

Fox confirmed that the Brown and Goldman families were offered profit participation deals for the projects but denies that it was hush money.

[47] News Corp spokesman Andrew Butcher said: "Last week, when concerns were raised by the public that we were profiting from this guy's story, we tried to work out some arrangement with the family.

"[48] The rights to the book were held by Lorraine Brooke Associates, a shell corporation set up in the name of Simpson's children.

After a California judge ordered the rights to be auctioned off and the proceeds to go to Goldman, Lorraine Brooke Associates filed for bankruptcy in April 2007.

As part of the agreement, the Goldmans must pay 10 percent of the first $4 million in gross proceeds to a court-appointed trustee, with most of that money going to the Brown family.

[2] The Goldman family's lawyers also announced intentions to pursue new publishing, film, or TV deals in order to receive some of $33.5 million awarded to them in the civil case.

[49] On August 14, 2007, it was reported that a literary agent for the Goldman family, Sharlene Martin, had made a deal to publish the book with the new subtitle "Confessions of the Killer".

Some of the proceeds benefit the Ronald Lyle Goldman Justice Foundation, which was planned in 1995 to fund civil legal action against Simpson.

It aired with limited commercial time, which was used to broadcast public service announcements addressing domestic violence.

Due to the change in phrasing, these comments were interpreted by many as being a form of confession, which stirred strong reactions in print media and the internet.