After Learning New Things About Nicole Brown Simpson, Sister Tanya Brown 'Feels Like I'm Grieving for the First Time' (Exclusive)

KC BakerFri, June 19, 2026 at 2:19 PM UTC

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Nicole Brown Simpson with from left: sisters Dominique and Denise, mother Juditha, father Lou, and sister Tanya in the 1990sCredit: courtesy Brown Family -

Tanya Brown was touched when she heard what Joseph Perrulli had to say about her sister in a new interview on the PEOPLE App

Perrulli recently released his memoir, The Forgotten Briefcase, about his 1992 relationship with Nicole Brown Simpson

The two dated after she separated from O.J. Simpson, who was accused of her 1994 homicide

Tanya Brown spent lots of time with sister Nicole Brown Simpson over the years, but since Tanya was so much younger, there was still a lot she didn't know about her when Nicole was killed in 1994.

"People don't always understand, but I'm 10 years younger than Nicole," Tanya tells PEOPLE. "She left the house when I was 7 or 8 years old. I missed out on so much of her life because I was in junior high, high school, and college by the time she was married and started having kids."

Nicole was just 35 when she was murdered in June 1994 on the walkway to her Brentwood, Calif., condo, allegedly by her ex-husband, NFL legend O.J. Simpson. Her friend Ronald Goldman, 25, who had stopped by her house to return reading glasses her mother had left behind at the restaurant where he worked, was also killed.

"We all know about the abuse," says Tanya. "We all know what she went through with Simpson. But who really knew Nicole? Who was Nicole?"

Nicole Brown Simpson in March 1994Credit: Vinnie Zuffante/Archive Photos/Getty

Tanya, who has spent the last 32 years trying to find out more about her sister, was taken aback when she saw the PEOPLE App interview with Joseph Perrulli about his new memoir, The Forgotten Briefcase, about his relationship with Nicole in 1992 after she separated from O.J.

"Nicole," says Perrulli, 65, an entrepreneur, in this week's issue, "was far different than what had been portrayed — more spiritual and more down-to-earth — and I felt it was incumbent upon me to tell her story."

Joseph Perrulli and Nicole Brown Simpson. Cabo San Lucas, May 1992Credit: Courtesy of Joseph Perrulli

In the App interview, he talked about how Nicole gave him a copy of her favorite book, Celebrate the Sun by James Kavanaugh.

Upon hearing that, Tanya says, "I was so moved. I was so touched. I've been crying since last night."

"I didn't know she had a favorite book," Tanya continues. "Something so simple may be so insignificant to somebody, but it's not to me."

"I didn't know how they fell in love. I didn't know when they fell in love. I didn't know if my sister was even in love. I didn't know any of this."

Even though Perrulli fell in love with Nicole, he broke off the relationship because of O.J.'s constant presence and intimidation.

"I'm just really, really happy to know that my sister lived out her last two years without that monster, and she was able to live a life," Tanya says. "She was able to find love."

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This past week has been particularly tough for Tanya, she says. It marks several painful anniversaries: Nicole was killed on June 12, 1994; buried on June 16, 1994, at Ascension Cemetery in Lake Forest, Calif.; and on June 17, 1994, O.J. Simpson fled police in the now-infamous Bronco chase.

Grief, which Tanya speaks about publicly, along with domestic violence, "is messy," Tanya says. "It's unpredictable."

Given that, "I really feel like this 32nd year, I am grieving for the very first time," she says. "I don't know why. It's surreal."

Her mood lifted when she saw a card Nicole had written to Perrulli in the App interview.

"I saw her handwriting," she says. "Seeing the card that Joseph shared, that was her handwriting. Her voice."

"I wanted to learn something new about who she is and who she was. And I think hopefully with Joseph's book, hopefully other stories will emerge. I want to hear those from people who knew her."

Commemorating Nicole

To honor Nicole's memory and to help victims of domestic violence, Tanya recently teamed up with an old friend to create commemorative magnetsfeaturing photos of Nicole.

On Wednesday, June 3, Tanya revealed on Instagram that she partnered with close friend Kiki Macdonald to create the limited collection, entitled, "Nicole: A Life Remembered." The magnets feature some of Tanya's favorite photographs of Nicole.

A portion of the proceeds will go to the women's shelter in Naples, Fla.

"It's about keeping Nicole alive," says Tanya, who adds, "I miss my sister every day."

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”