Direct examination of Denise Brown (morning, part 3)

📄 Direct examination of Denise Brown (morning, part 3) — Monday, February 6, 1995

Address:

C:\DEPT103\CRIMINAL\1995\FEB\6\DIRECT-EXAMINATION-OF-DENISE-B.DOC

TRIAL

▲ Day 13 of 167

◀ Sidebar: examination scope Sidebar (1) ▶

Witness: Denise Brown
Examiner: Christopher Darden
Called by: Prosecution • Date: Monday, February 6, 1995 • Utterances: 63

Darden resumed direct examination of Denise Brown, focusing on OJ Simpson's verbal abuse of Nicole Brown Simpson related to her weight during and after her pregnancies. Brown testified that Simpson routinely called Nicole a 'fat pig' in public and in front of family, and that after Nicole lost the weight, he began possessively boasting about her appearance.

# 1 THE COURT:

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, COUNSEL. MR. DARDEN, YOU MAY CONTINUE.

# 2 Q:

BY MR. DARDEN: MISS BROWN, YOU HAVE A NIECE AND A NEPHEW BY YOUR SISTER NICOLE; IS THAT CORRECT?

# 3 A:

YES, I DO.

# 4 Q:

THAT IS SYDNEY AND JUSTIN?

# 5 A:

YES.

# 6 Q:

DO YOU RECALL IN WHICH YEAR EACH OF YOUR NIECE AND NEPHEW WERE BORN?

# 7 MR. SHAPIRO:

OBJECTION, IRRELEVANT.

# 8 THE COURT:

OVERRULED.

# 9 DENISE BROWN:

SYDNEY WAS BORN IN 1985 AND JUSTIN WAS BORN IN 1988.

# 10 Q:

BY MR. DARDEN: I TAKE IT THAT YOUR SISTER GAINED WEIGHT WHILE SHE WAS PREGNANT?

# 11 A:

YES, SHE DID.

# 12 Q:

AND AFTER EACH OF THOSE PREGNANCIES DID SHE KEEP THE WEIGHT ON FOR A WHILE?

# 13 A:

YEAH. IT --

# 14 Q:

WHILE SHE WAS ACTUALLY PREGNANT DID YOU EVER HEAR THE DEFENDANT COMMENT ABOUT HER WEIGHT?

# 15 A:

YES, I DID.

# 16 Q:

WHAT DID THE DEFENDANT SAY ABOUT YOUR SISTER'S WEIGHT WHILE SHE WAS PREGNANT?

# 17 MR. SHAPIRO:

OBJECTION, HEARSAY.

# 18 THE COURT:

SUSTAINED.

# 19 MR. DARDEN:

IT IS THE DEFENDANT'S STATEMENT, YOUR HONOR.

# 20 THE COURT:

I'M SORRY. OVERRULED.

# 21 DENISE BROWN:

COULD YOU REPEAT THAT, PLEASE.

# 22 Q:

BY MR. DARDEN: WHAT DID THE DEFENDANT SAY ABOUT YOUR SISTER'S WEIGHT WHILE SHE WAS PREGNANT?

# 23 A:

HE USED TO CALL HER A FAT PIG. HE USED TO COMMENT LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME.

KEY QUOTE

# 24 Q:

DID HE MAKE HAND GESTURES?

# 25 A:

YES.

# 26 Q:

HOLDING BOTH HANDS APART AS YOU JUST INDICATED ON THE RECORD?

# 27 A:

YES.

# 28 Q:

OKAY. DID YOU ACTUALLY HEAR HIM CALL YOUR SISTER A FAT PIG WHILE SHE WAS PREGNANT?

# 29 A:

YES.

# 30 Q:

AND AFTER SHE HAD HAD EACH OF THE CHILDREN WOULD HE MAKE SIMILAR COMMENTS ABOUT HER WEIGHT?

# 31 A:

YEAH. HE HATED FAT WOMEN.

# 32 Q:

HE WOULD TELL YOUR SISTER THAT HE HATED FAT WOMEN?

# 33 A:

HE WOULD ALWAYS COMMENT ABOUT HER WEIGHT.

# 34 Q:

AND YOU WOULD BE PRESENT ON OCCASION WHEN HE MADE THESE COMMENTS?

# 35 A:

YES, I WAS.

# 36 Q:

DID YOUR SISTER NICOLE REACT IN ANY WAY ON THOSE OCCASIONS WHEN THE DEFENDANT WOULD CALL HER A FAT PIG OR SAY THAT HE HATED FAT WOMEN?

# 37 A:

AT ONE POINT SHE DIDN'T CARE HOW MUCH WEIGHT SHE GAINED, SHE JUST WANTED HIM TO LEAVE HER.

KEY QUOTE

# 38 MR. DARDEN:

CAN I HAVE ONE MOMENT, YOUR HONOR?

# 39 THE COURT:

YES.

# 40 (DISCUSSION HELD OFF THE RECORD BETWEEN THE DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.)

# 41 Q:

BY MR. DARDEN: MISS BROWN, WHO ELSE WOULD BE AROUND ON THOSE OCCASIONS WHEN THE DEFENDANT MADE THESE COMMENTS ABOUT NICOLE'S WEIGHT?

# 42 A:

OH, GOD. I DON'T KNOW. MY MOM. SHE HEARD IT, TOO. MY SISTERS, OTHER PEOPLE.

# 43 Q:

AND WHEN THE DEFENDANT WOULD MAKE THESE COMMENTS ABOUT YOUR SISTER'S WEIGHT, DID HER DEMEANOR CHANGE AT ALL FROM WHAT YOU COULD SEE?

# 44 A:

SHE -- SHE WOULD JUST SORT OF SIT THERE. SHE REALLY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. SHE JUST GOT QUIET.

# 45 Q:

AND ON THOSE OCCASIONS WHEN THE DEFENDANT WOULD CALL YOUR SISTER THESE NAMES, DID YOU SAY ANYTHING TO HIM?

# 46 A:

I DON'T REMEMBER.

# 47 Q:

AND AT SOME POINT YOUR SISTER LOST THE WEIGHT; IS THAT CORRECT?

# 48 A:

YEAH, SHE LOOKED GREAT.

# 49 Q:

DO YOU RECALL WHEN IT WAS THAT SHE LOST THE WEIGHT?

# 50 A:

UMM, IT WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. IT WAS THREE YEARS AGO, I GUESS.

# 51 Q:

AND DO YOU KNOW HOW SHE LOST THE WEIGHT?

# 52 A:

YEAH. SHE STARTED RUNNING AND EATING REALLY HEALTHY.

# 53 Q:

BY THE WAY, THE COMMENTS THE DEFENDANT MADE ABOUT YOUR SISTER'S WEIGHT, WERE THOSE COMMENTS MADE IN PUBLIC?

# 54 A:

UMM, YEAH.

# 55 Q:

ON THOSE OCCASIONS WHEN YOU SAW THE DEFENDANT, AND THIS IS AFTER YOUR SISTER LOST THE WEIGHT, DID HIS ATTITUDE ABOUT HER WEIGHT CHANGE AT ALL?

# 56 A:

YEAH. HE LOVED IT. "LOOK AT HER. SHE LOOKS GREAT, DOESN'T SHE? SHE IS MINE."

# 57 Q:

THAT IS WHAT THE DEFENDANT WOULD SAY?

# 58 A:

YEAH. SHE WAS ALWAYS LIKE A POSSESSION.

KEY QUOTE

# 59 Q:

WELL, DURING THE YEARS WHEN SHE WAS CARRYING THE WEIGHT, DID HE EVER SAY, "LOOK AT HER, DOESN'T SHE LOOK GREAT? SHE IS MINE"?

# 60 A:

MAYBE WHEN SHE WAS DRESSED UP OR SOMETHING. WHO KNOWS.

# 61 MR. DARDEN:

I NEED THE COURT'S GUIDANCE ON ONE MATTER. CAN WE APPROACH SIDE BAR FOR A MOMENT?

# 62 THE COURT:

MADAM REPORTER, HOW IS YOUR PAPER SUPPLY?

# 63 REPORTER OLSON:

FINE. I CHANGED IT AT THE LAST BENCH CONFERENCE.

Temperature

tense

Key Quotes (4)

Denise Brown

HE USED TO CALL HER A FAT PIG. HE USED TO COMMENT LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME.

Direct testimony of verbal abuse, establishing pattern of degradation toward Nicole

Denise Brown

AT ONE POINT SHE DIDN'T CARE HOW MUCH WEIGHT SHE GAINED, SHE JUST WANTED HIM TO LEAVE HER.

Reveals Nicole's state of mind — she had given up and wanted out of the relationship

Denise Brown

YEAH. HE LOVED IT. 'LOOK AT HER. SHE LOOKS GREAT, DOESN'T SHE? SHE IS MINE.'

Captures Simpson's possessive, objectifying attitude toward Nicole once she lost weight

Denise Brown

SHE WAS ALWAYS LIKE A POSSESSION.

Denise's own characterization of how Simpson treated Nicole — central to the prosecution's control/abuse narrative

Notable Exchanges (2)

Christopher Darden•Robert Shapiro•Lance A. Ito

Shapiro objected to OJ's statements as hearsay; Darden correctly pointed out they were the defendant's own statements; Ito reversed his initial sustain to overruled.

procedural, briefly contentious

Lance A. Ito•Janet Olson

Ito checked on the court reporter's paper supply before approaching sidebar — a mundane logistical aside mid-testimony.

routine

Light Moments (1)

Lance A. Ito

Ito asked the court reporter about her paper supply before a sidebar conference, a prosaic interruption in otherwise heavy testimony.

Witness Demeanor

(DISCUSSION HELD OFF THE RECORD BETWEEN THE DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEYS.) — suggests Darden paused to confer with colleagues mid-examination

Objections

3 objections (1 sustained, 2 overruled)

Proceeding 4646 • 63 utterances • Prosecution witness

Criminal Trial

Department 103