'Terminator' writer says O.J. Simpson was never considered for the part, debunking a claim by Arnold Schwarzenegger

• "The Terminator" writer Gale Anne Hurd addressed a rumor about O.J. Simpson after his death Wednesday.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger said last year that Simpson was once in line to play the Terminator.

Gale Anne Hurd, the producer and co-writer of "The Terminator," debunked a claim about O.J. Simpson that spread after his death.

Hurd knocked down the assertion by Arnold Schwarzenegger that Simpson was at one point in line to play the Terminator, rather than him.

Hurd disputed that, saying Simpson was "never even considered" for the movie, which premiered in 1984 and made Schwarzenegger's career.

Schwarzenegger made the claim about Simpson in Netflix's 2023 docuseries, "Arnold."

He made a similar version of the claim to The Independent in 2019, saying Simpson was actually cast in the role before he came on board.

He claimed Simpson was canned because the producers didn't think audiences would buy into the idea of Simpson as the killer.

That notion was eye-catching since Simpson's own future was ultimately defined by exactly that issue — in 1995 a jury acquitted him of murder in the intensely watched "trial of the century."

Simpson was charged with the double murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman, but cleared.

The families of the deceased later sued Simpson in civil court, which found Simpson liable for their deaths, a lower standard of guilt that doesn't come with jail time.

He was ordered to pay them $33.5 million in damages in 1997.

On Thursday, Simpson's family announced that the football star had died due to cancer the previous day. He was 76.

As the news spread online, Hurd reacted to a tweet resurfacing the claim about Simpson playing the Terminator.

She said: "Not true. Absolutely fiction. And I was there (with Jim) long before Arnold was cast."

(Jim is James Cameron, the movie's director.)

Minutes later, Hurd followed up with a second tweet debunking Schwarzenegger's comments.

"I realize that Arnold claims that OJ Simpson was cast as The Terminator before we cast him," She wrote. "That is 100% NOT TRUE. And I should know. Jim and I never ever considered OJ. Not even for a nanosecond."

The concept of Simpson playing the title role in "The Terminator" makes for a sensational story because of his unique place in pop culture, so it's understandable why it keeps resurfacing.

But it is impressive that the rumor has persisted for several years. That's largely because fans have had no reason not to believe Schwarzenegger due to his heavy involvement with the franchise.

Cameron also touched on the topic in the "Arnold" docuseries, saying that somebody else did suggest Simpson.

According to Cameron, it was Mike Medavoy, who cofounded the production company that released "The Terminator."

Cameron wasn't in favor though. "Those two names just sounded so wrong to me," he said.