https://www.facebook.com/KatieTalbertOperationCoexist/posts/1156177867865127
UPDATED 9:55 a.m. 11/21
In the hours after its posting, the social media photo was taken down due to the polarizing nature of seeing Simpson, who was the focal point of the one of last century’s most watched criminal trials, out in St. Petersburg. Having experienced her work in the community, this writer personally knows the songwriter would never endorse any of the bad behavior Simpson has exhibited in the past.
“I got way too many messages and negative feedback from that I was over it.I had Fox and *TBT ask to use the photo, but I don’t need all that drama in my life,” Talbert told CL on Wednesday morning. “I was shocked to see him in the bar. I didn’t think anyone would believe me if I didn’t take a picture.”
“It was a very strange experience,” she added. “It’s even more strange how people automatically assume that documenting this type of crazy experience for shock value automatically equates to some type of endorsement of his history. It’s insane.”
Rumors about O.J. Simpson moving to our neck of the woods have been floating around for some time, but is this the closest we've been to a confirmation, right?
Tonight, St. Petersburg songwriter Katie Talbert posted a picture of herself with the embattled former Heisman Trophy winner at what looks like a regular gig in downtown St. Petersburg.
"He walked up to me and said, 'You have a beautiful voice,'" Talbert told CL in a Facebook message. "I looked up and it was O.J. Simpson. I was like, 'No one is going to believe this, so can we take a pic?'”
We'll update the post with more information in the morning. Sleep tight, 'Burgers!
This article appears in Nov 15-22, 2018.