Television
ByJessica Ferri
Kato Kaelin is best remembered as the witness in the O.J. Simpson murder trial who helped prosecutors establish a timeline of events on the night that Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman were murdered.
Kato's appearance, with his long flowing blonde hair, and status as a "professional houseguest," catapulted him to fame overnight — fame that has since dissipated greatly over the last 20-plus years. But that's not for lack of trying. Kaelin's dabbled in everything from reality TVto brand-building to sportscasting to even plunking down his own money to live in his very own home!
Did you know he was still able to attract national press in 2015 by telling Barbara Walters that he believed O.J. was guilty? It's truly been a whirlwind for America's most infamous freeloader since the 1995 not-guilty verdict heard round the world. Let's take a closer look at what Kato Kaelin's life is like today.
He made a lot of TV appearances
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After the trial, Kaelin, who at the time was an aspiring actor and television personality, appeared on reality and game shows like Celebrity Boot Camp and The Weakest Link, as well as scripted series includingBeggars andChoosers andSabrina the Teenage Witch, of all things. At some point, there were even brief appearances in the movieBASEketball and onTosh.0. He most recently sang the National Anthem in the pilot episode ofBaskets.
In fact, it's quite surprising to see just how busy Kaelin has stayed, even if many of the projects he's been involved in you've probably never heard of. According to theObserver, Kaelin has worked one everything from theBilly on the Street-inspiredTailgating with Katoto the (apparently) fake court reality showEye for anEye. According to Kaelin's Instagram, he's also been doing promotional appearances forWizard World Comic Con.Which, sure, why not?
He founded a clothing company
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In the spirit of embracing his pop-culture status as a freeloading houseguest, Kaelin co-founded his own clothing company and named it, appropriately enough, SlackerWear. "Men's fashion today is all about comfort, comedy, and cost. Slacker's got it," its website reads. "While some young celebs are running around in $500 sweatpants, Kato's Slacker Wear is offering everyone the opportunity to 'Embrace UR Inner Slacker' with comfortable, attractive, and affordable loungewear for all your 'I'm just chillin' on the couch needs.'"
The website also includes this ringing endorsem*nt: "Cheetos, Fritos and Doritos, if it ends in O, you should be wearing Slacker by Kato!" Great!
He's really into sports
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In 2016,Entertainment Weeklyreported exclusively that Kaelin would co-host a sports talkshow calledSports Haters, a title that proved to be slightly misleading. "We don't hate sports. We hate the stupid stuff that goes with it," Kaelin said in a statement at the time. "Like back-to-back Viagra commercials and athletes who thank God for the game-winning touchdown because clearly God hated the other team. You know the stuff you're screaming at the TV? We actually say it on TV!"
Its Twitter bio describes the show as follows: "IfReal Time [with] Bill Maher[and] ESPN had a baby, it'd beSports Haters!"Which, again, sure, why not?
He's no longer a houseguest
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As mentioned by theDaily Mail, Kaelin was described as a" beach bum" and "parasitic freeloader" during the O.J. Simpson trial. Speaking to theToday show in 2014, Kaelin admitted the hate hasn't exactly stopped. "I was Kato the character. Still to this day I can't believe some of the hate that can come over social media," he revealed. "If I work, they say you're capitalizing, still to this day. If I don't, then I'm a bum."
If it's any consolation, at least, Kaelin seems to have moved on from his status as a professional houseguest—and even has a sense of humor about the whole thing. As he revealed onOprah: Where Are They Now? (viaPeople), "I'm a homeowner. Things are wonderful. My goal is to have someone live behind my house."
He's still talking about the trial
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The only reason you're even reading an article about Kato Kaelin right now is because of the O.J.Simpson murder trial. So, naturally, it should come with little shock that Kaelin is still discussing his thoughts on the infamous saga to this day, including whether or not he thinks that Simpson is actually guilty of murder.
"In my opinion, yes, I think he's guilty,"Kaelin told Barbara Walters in 2015."In hindsight of everything, like 20 years later, I think that O.J. Simpson is guilty."
As for Simpson, well, Kaelin thinks the former football star would maintain his innocence. "If I saw O.J. today, I would say, 'O.J., did you do it?" Kaelin told Walters. "I think he would say, 'absolutely not.'"
ExpectKaelin to continue talking about the Simpson trial on its every major anniversary ever.
He didn't like his portrayal on American Crime Story
In 2016, Kaelin found himself back in the headlines thanks to the FX Emmy-winning miniseriesAmerican Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson, on which he was portrayed by actor Billy Magnussen. Although Magnussen's appearance in the miniseries was brief at best, it was apparently enough screen time for Kaelin to criticize. "As far as the acting goes, I think it's terrific. Billy Magnussen, the actor, is [a] terrific actor," Kaelin said on Oprah:Where Are TheyNow? (via HuffingtonPost). "His choice of how he plays me is incorrect."
"I really wish I had a chance to meet him beforehand, but it was his choice not to meet," he continued. "I saw in one of his interviews that he thought if he ended up liking me, maybe he would make a difference choice [in his portrayal]."
"Let's face it: The entire trial was based on sound bites," Kaelin concluded. "It's based on the sound bites that the media ... picked, if they wanted to make me look like the deer in the headlights, if they wanted to make me look like the dummy. Billy's probably got that to go on. It's the furthest thing from the truth."
He dated a newscaster
During a 2016 episode ofOprah: WhereAre They Now?, Kaelin revealed he was dating the Los Angeles newscaster Leyna Nguyen, whom he met at an event for her charity."While I'm walking the red carpet, I see this beautiful woman," he recalled(viaHuffingtonPost).
After awkwardly mispronouncing her name, Kaelin switched gears by trying a bold pick-up line."I said, are you going to be busy through 2059?" He went on to make a bold declaration, telling the show,"I'm going to be with this woman the rest of my life, I just know it."
Sadly for him, if Nguyen's Instagram is any indication,she appears to have moved on with a new man. It's unclear whetherKaelin has found love again, as well.
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