JR RadcliffeMilwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee native Brian "Kato" Kaelin, a Milwaukee native who became one of the most distinguishable personalities enmeshed in the landmark O.J. Simpson murder trial of 1994-95, became a household name to many across the state and country.
Simpson, who was acquitted of the charges of killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman, died Wednesday at age 76.
Here's what to know about Kaelin, who was a witness in one of the biggest trials in American history:
Kato Kaelin was born in Milwaukee and attended Nicolet High School
Kaelin played multiple sports at Nicolet in Glendale, just north of Milwaukee. After graduating from Nicolet, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire for two years as a speech major. According to an Associated Press article in 1995, his nickname stems from "The Green Hornet," which featured a limousine driver named Kato. Older brother Mark had an affinity for the television program and used the nickname to describe many of the six siblings in the house, but the nickname stuck to Brian.
Kaelin, an aspiring actor, had moved to Los Angeles at the time of the killings and was staying in a guest house on Simpson's Rockingham estate; he bore witness to some of Simpson's movements the night of June 12, 1994.
Kato Kaelin gave testimony at the Simpson trial, but was declared a hostile witness
Kaelin was with Simpson before and after the time it's believed Brown Simpson and Goldman were murdered. Some of his testimony contradicted Simpson's timeline of the night's events.
Kaelin befriended OJ and Nicole Simpson and was staying in their guest home, sometimes taking care of the couple's children for a reduction in rent. When Brown Simpson moved out of the home, Kaelin stayed and helped take care of the property, though Kaelin was often painted as a freeloader.
Kaelin testified he was with Simpson from about 9:15 to 9:45 p.m. June 12 on a run to McDonald's after Simpson was excluded from a family gathering at Mezzaluna restaurant following his daughter's dance recital. Kaelin didn't see Simpson again until Simpson left in a limousine for the airport at 11 p.m. The murders were believed to take place between 10 and 11 p.m. Goldman, a waiter at Mezzaluna, was returning a pair of glasses left by someone in the family party when he was killed.
Kaelin said he also heard a thumping sound outside his guest house around 10:40 p.m. and, while on the grounds looking for the source, opened the gate for limousine driver Allan Park, who was scheduled to give Simpson a ride to the airport at 10:45 p.m. but didn't get an answer from the house on an intercom.
More: I idolized O.J. Simpson as a kid. Later, I thought he got away with murder.
Park said he saw a 6-foot, 200-pound Black person enter the home, followed by a voice sounding like Simpson's on the intercom, indicating he had overslept and would be down shortly. Both Kaelin and Park testified Simpson wanted to personally load a dark duffle bag or knapsack into the limousine, refusing help from Kaelin.
But Kaelin also contradicted his own testimony at times and was categorized by the prosecution as a "hostile witness," an unusual maneuver that allowed district attorney Marcia Clark to ask leading questions, much like a cross examination, on her own witness.
Kaelin's offbeat personality — and perhaps his flowing blonde hair — brought him to a strange brand of celebrity during the televised trial. Though the fame didn't lead to major acting roles, he has since made a number of TV appearances, most recently on "Celebrity Big Brother" in 2019 and an installment of the "Sharknado" franchise in 2018.
Kato Kaelin has said in recent years he believes Simpson was guilty
Kaelin has said in the intervening years that he believes Simpson indeed killed Brown and Goldman, even though he doesn't have firsthand knowledge.
In a heartfelt statement he posted to Instagram after Simpson's death, Kaelin offered sympathy to Simpson's children and expressed "love and compassion" for members of the Goldman family as well as the family of Nicole, "a beacon of light that burned bright."
His Wisconsin sports fandom has continued, and it's a wild journey
Kaelin's fandom of Milwaukee sports teams can be categorized as … passionate.
His messages posted to Twitter often illustrate the high-intensity emotion of sports fandom. Take this recent subset of examples:
Kaelin regularly attends Wisconsin sporting events both inside the state and when they come to California. He even won the 50/50 raffle at American Family Field in 2017.
