OJ Simpson prosecutor Chris Darden was fired following his loss in 1995’s so-called “Trial of the Century” — he just didn’t know it for about a year.
“I left the day of the verdict,” Darden told “Reasonable Doubt” hosts Adam Carolla and Mark Geragos during a podcast recorded on Monday. “I went back one night to retrieve my belongings from the office, and I never went back.”
But the ultimate parting of ways wasn’t quite that simple, according to audio of the interview obtained exclusively by TheWrap.
Darden told the PodcastOne duo that he technically took a (paid) year off after OJ Simpson’s acquittal in the murders of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson — an effort for the burned-out lawyer to burn comp time — but Marcia Clark’s wingman always intended to return to his Los Angeles County District Attorneys’ Office post.
Unfortunately, they allegedly didn’t want him back after that earned hiatus, Darden said. During the interview, he recalled receiving a phone call that pointed him to a legal newspaper article saying the now-famous prosecutor has been terminated because Darden “abandoned his job.”
Not understanding the mixup, the man who infamously had OJ Simpson try on the Isotoner in evidence reached out to boss Gil Garcetti, who promptly clarified the situation for him.
“‘Nope, you’re fired,’” Darden recalled Garcetti’s “Dear John” note saying. “And in handwriting it said, ‘Have a nice life.’”
Listen to the audio above. The full “Reasonable Doubt” episode drops on Saturday; Listen to more exclusive audio from the interview here.