O.J. Simpson's Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Took a Toll, Frail in Final Days

O.J. Simpson's cancer battle took a heavy toll on his health over the past year -- and in his final days, he was incredibly frail and virtually unrecognizable ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us O.J. was, in fact, diagnosed with prostate cancer -- something he first alluded to in May 2023 in a video he posted to X. He never offered much detail, and seemed to suggest he had beaten it.

Despite the brave face he put on, our sources tell us the cancer was not at all in remission and greatly impacted his health. Whereas, we're told, he lived as if he were a younger man -- even into his later years -- his physical state seriously deteriorated over the past 11 months.

We're told Simpson had been in and out of the hospital for about 6 months -- and he even briefly caught pneumonia, too.

Despite him having the best medical care, our sources say the cancer became too great to overcome, and he eventually required hospice care.

Our sources say it was about 2 weeks ago that he was released from the hospital, and sent home -- where he wanted to be -- with a hospice care plan.

We're told in the final days, O.J. was in and out of consciousness ... sleeping a lot.

Once it became clear Simpson was transitioning, we're told it was relayed to the family, and the end came quickly.

A hospice bed had been brought into his master bedroom, and we're told he could no longer get in and out of it by himself.

On Wednesday, when he actually passed, we're told a family member checked on O.J. and realized he wasn't responsive -- so they called in a nurse who declared him dead, and contacted a funeral home.