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Kato Kaelin: The Whole Truth
Interviews with Kato Kaelin offer his perspective on the O.J. Simpson murder trial and the relationship between O.J. and Nicole Brown Simpson
270 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 27, 2013
Poor Marcia Clark. She was outgunned by an expensive legal team and undermined by LAPD's star detective. Now we see how she was stonewalled by what could have been a star witness. The trial dialog supplied by Eliot shows that she knew that Kato had answers, but, Kato's sympathetic character and surfer dude image helped him dodge questions with banal non-testimony.
In the early hours of investigation while Kato was being treated as a suspect could he have been given immunity? If so, would he have opened up on the stand? He'd have a harder time lying about the book and his observations of OJ's jealousy.
Kato seems to have neither empathy nor moral compass. He tells Nicole, who's neediness is obvious, she's his friend whom he'll do anything for, but as soon as he has the opportunity to trade up to OJ, he jumps at the chance. Kato believes OJ did it, and thinks there may have been an accomplice. He clearly has no sense of justice, and has not come through for Nicole.
What struck me, more than the psycho games of Nicole and OJ, was the emptiness of their lives. Both are so lonely that they need a house guest like Kato to fill their void. Nicole is obviously looking for love, and OJ's obsession is probably the best substitute for it she can find. Her family, all working for OJ, is in the background of this book, and probably of her life as well. OJ has everything, but seems to know that he has nothing. He seems to need an admiring Kato hanging around, and besides, it upsets Nicole.
For the 17 hours of tape, and the lengthy legal record, I expected more. It may not be the author's fault. This may be all there is.
In the early hours of investigation while Kato was being treated as a suspect could he have been given immunity? If so, would he have opened up on the stand? He'd have a harder time lying about the book and his observations of OJ's jealousy.
Kato seems to have neither empathy nor moral compass. He tells Nicole, who's neediness is obvious, she's his friend whom he'll do anything for, but as soon as he has the opportunity to trade up to OJ, he jumps at the chance. Kato believes OJ did it, and thinks there may have been an accomplice. He clearly has no sense of justice, and has not come through for Nicole.
What struck me, more than the psycho games of Nicole and OJ, was the emptiness of their lives. Both are so lonely that they need a house guest like Kato to fill their void. Nicole is obviously looking for love, and OJ's obsession is probably the best substitute for it she can find. Her family, all working for OJ, is in the background of this book, and probably of her life as well. OJ has everything, but seems to know that he has nothing. He seems to need an admiring Kato hanging around, and besides, it upsets Nicole.
For the 17 hours of tape, and the lengthy legal record, I expected more. It may not be the author's fault. This may be all there is.
May 26, 2015
I picked up a copy of this book at the thrift store because I'm always interested in reading memoirs and for 50 cents, I figured why not? I didn't have any real expectations, except maybe to hear more details on what Kato Kaelin "knew" or saw leading up to the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. This book isn't that, exactly.
The backstory of this book (which is the first 50 or so pages; save yourself the time with this brief summary) is that the author was hired by Kaelin and his "people" to write a memoir and in the process interviewed Kaelin for several weeks/months and became friends with him. Although the book was completed, Kaelin's attorneys decided to kill the book deal which cost the writer a great deal of money (in my opinion, it was a bad decision to work on spec) and so he decided to publish a different version from his own point of view, in the hopes of cashing in.
The "premise" of this book is, allegedly, to show the relationship that Kaelin had with both Nicole and OJ Simpson and how through his unique vantage point, he had insight into their relationship - particularly the difficulties in their attempts to reconcile and the jealousies that they both harbored. Kaelin also alleges that both parties had confided in him the violence in their relationship. The reason that this bears any importance is that Kaelin was called as a character witness in the trial of OJ Simpson and yet he carefully worded his responses to the court's questions, ostensibly to stay on the "good side" of OJ who was known to be vengeful - and also Kaelin relied upon both Simpsons for their celebrity influence and their generosity (he lived essentially for free with both Simpsons while being treated to lavish parties and vacations). The author contends that if Kaelin had spoken truthfully, the outcome of the OJ Simpson trial may have turned out differently. It is a fair point BUT it hardly makes a compelling book.
The author assumes that the reader knows the details of the trial and references key aspects in throwaway phrases -- like you're supposed to know what he's talking about. Most people reading this type of book probably were trial watchers and got the references, but 20 years later his vague references were meaningless. I have no idea what he's winking at when he says things like "exhibit 35." The book was published in June of 1995, so the trial was either still taking place or just ending when it hit book stores, so it gives the definite impression that it is a "cash grab" book that came out to make money rather than provide information. Ultimately, that's what it does.
Overall, the writing was sloppy. It was long-winded and obtuse, trying to hit a minimum word count without having enough content to back it up. You'll find phrases like "...reaction to his testimony at the July 1994 preliminary hearings was what one might describe in the O.J. maelstrom as a relatively mild storm off the Catalinas in this the Los Angeles year of Our Lord 19 Ninety and Endless Floods." What the heck is that supposed to mean? Nothing, nothing at all. Just eating up words against a word count. Ugh. The book is broken into sections (the Nicole years, the OJ years, etc) of Kato's life but there is no timeline and stories within the same paragraph jump around months or years at a time. It makes it really difficult to piece together (intentionally, I'm sure) and there's plenty of time wasted on celebrity name-dropping and more than a handful of times the author makes mention of other books he's written (that people are clamoring fans for; one DA even requesting an autographed copy of a book while working on the case).
The author makes himself the hero - he voluntarily turned over his records and unpublished manuscript to the DA, which he never fails to remind you is a BRAVE thing to do (OJ is vengeful, powerful, and well-connected with a legion of fans who would injure anyone who spoke against him) but even though he was AT GREAT PERSONAL RISK he submitted the information anyway. Obviously, he wasn't too fearful to actually publish this book - in which he says that he believes that OJ is guilty - but then again, there's a payday attached to it (the DA does not pay for information).
Overall, this book is blah. Not great writing, not great content, no insight, and even if you were trying to understand the case more deeply, you'd have to be a case scholar to know what info is important and why -- there is no background on the case, no layouts of the houses (which the author describes over and over in conflicting detail making it hard to picture what the layout was like), etc.
The backstory of this book (which is the first 50 or so pages; save yourself the time with this brief summary) is that the author was hired by Kaelin and his "people" to write a memoir and in the process interviewed Kaelin for several weeks/months and became friends with him. Although the book was completed, Kaelin's attorneys decided to kill the book deal which cost the writer a great deal of money (in my opinion, it was a bad decision to work on spec) and so he decided to publish a different version from his own point of view, in the hopes of cashing in.
The "premise" of this book is, allegedly, to show the relationship that Kaelin had with both Nicole and OJ Simpson and how through his unique vantage point, he had insight into their relationship - particularly the difficulties in their attempts to reconcile and the jealousies that they both harbored. Kaelin also alleges that both parties had confided in him the violence in their relationship. The reason that this bears any importance is that Kaelin was called as a character witness in the trial of OJ Simpson and yet he carefully worded his responses to the court's questions, ostensibly to stay on the "good side" of OJ who was known to be vengeful - and also Kaelin relied upon both Simpsons for their celebrity influence and their generosity (he lived essentially for free with both Simpsons while being treated to lavish parties and vacations). The author contends that if Kaelin had spoken truthfully, the outcome of the OJ Simpson trial may have turned out differently. It is a fair point BUT it hardly makes a compelling book.
The author assumes that the reader knows the details of the trial and references key aspects in throwaway phrases -- like you're supposed to know what he's talking about. Most people reading this type of book probably were trial watchers and got the references, but 20 years later his vague references were meaningless. I have no idea what he's winking at when he says things like "exhibit 35." The book was published in June of 1995, so the trial was either still taking place or just ending when it hit book stores, so it gives the definite impression that it is a "cash grab" book that came out to make money rather than provide information. Ultimately, that's what it does.
Overall, the writing was sloppy. It was long-winded and obtuse, trying to hit a minimum word count without having enough content to back it up. You'll find phrases like "...reaction to his testimony at the July 1994 preliminary hearings was what one might describe in the O.J. maelstrom as a relatively mild storm off the Catalinas in this the Los Angeles year of Our Lord 19 Ninety and Endless Floods." What the heck is that supposed to mean? Nothing, nothing at all. Just eating up words against a word count. Ugh. The book is broken into sections (the Nicole years, the OJ years, etc) of Kato's life but there is no timeline and stories within the same paragraph jump around months or years at a time. It makes it really difficult to piece together (intentionally, I'm sure) and there's plenty of time wasted on celebrity name-dropping and more than a handful of times the author makes mention of other books he's written (that people are clamoring fans for; one DA even requesting an autographed copy of a book while working on the case).
The author makes himself the hero - he voluntarily turned over his records and unpublished manuscript to the DA, which he never fails to remind you is a BRAVE thing to do (OJ is vengeful, powerful, and well-connected with a legion of fans who would injure anyone who spoke against him) but even though he was AT GREAT PERSONAL RISK he submitted the information anyway. Obviously, he wasn't too fearful to actually publish this book - in which he says that he believes that OJ is guilty - but then again, there's a payday attached to it (the DA does not pay for information).
Overall, this book is blah. Not great writing, not great content, no insight, and even if you were trying to understand the case more deeply, you'd have to be a case scholar to know what info is important and why -- there is no background on the case, no layouts of the houses (which the author describes over and over in conflicting detail making it hard to picture what the layout was like), etc.
May 1, 2020
I'm giving this the rating I did because of the author and the work he put into this and the truth he was willing to share at a certain juncture during the O.J. Simpson trial. The subject matter would not garner nearly as high of a rating because man... so many involved in this real-life drama are just crappy human beings. If you ever envy fame and fortune or look at certain celebrities and think they have it all, just read a story like this and realize their lives are probably more of a mess than you know and that power and position does not guarantee a happy and drama-free life. I obviously still think the murders are tragic, and I especially feel bad for Ronald Goldman who likely just got himself involved with the wrong people. The children of Nicole and O.J. also have my sympathies. But the life and marriage they created for themselves.... phew. No thank you.
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October 27, 2016Before now, I had absolutely no desire whatsoever to read this book but I have just finished reading If I Did it: Confessions of a Killer by O.J. Simpson, and I have to admit, my curiosity is winning out. In O.J.'s book, he portrayed himself as an honest guy who was only trying to be a good father to his children and handle an ex-wife who was out of control. I know better but wanted to read more just to confirm my suspicions. I haven't finished this yet but so far my opinion is that Kato wanted to tell the truth but didn't want it to affect his meal ticket and that is why he bailed out of the book.
April 14, 2019
****SPOILER ALERT This book only has snippets of the "tape" Honest to goodness everything in this book can be found on public records and seriously you really do not know any more than you did before reading it. This was the author's way to fame and "fortune" if he made anything, It is very poorly written as the author assumes we all followed the trial (I did not) and that we are supposed to know what is going on. ( I used google) I would not recommend this book as we can google and get more information on this than the book, I say it was a waste of my time!
January 25, 2014
Easy read that gave some interesting "behind the scenes" facts. If that is indeed what you can call them. An older book, but I found a copy in an old box a while back. Decided to pick it up and give it a read. It was one of those books that just kind of left me feeling blah.
August 27, 2007
Not learning a whole lot, but it isn't a bad read if you can believe that. Easy, but interesting if you remember any of that trial, etc..
November 25, 2010
Interesting book that raised issues that did not come up in court. Was a quick read and held my attention, but I thought it ended too quickly and didn't come together well at the end.
May 2, 2015
I was amazed at how much I liked this book.
April 14, 2016
i agree with another reader, it ended too quickly. there was much more that should have been revealed. it held my interest and was well written, what there was of it.
July 3, 2018
Totally tabloid news but I’m obsessed with the OJ case so of course I had to read it!
September 4, 2023
It did have a lot more info about Nicole Brown Simpson and her daily life. But I wasn’t sure how much of it to believe. Being that this book was originally going to be written in conjunction with the author. But they had a falling out. So I don’t know how much Kato really said . This book became more about Kati’s story and how he may have known more than he said in court. But we all kind of knew that already. But it wasn’t a waste of time to read. If you still wonder about this case, it’s a good read to get more details about Nicole and OJ’s relationship.
January 6, 2026
If author interviewed Kato for as long as he claims… he did not reveal anything that changed my opinion on Kato, or the OJ trial. Writer spent beginning of book praising himself and the remaining chapters rambling over well established information with gossipy bits inserted here & there. Some insights regarding Kato’s character was new to me- but that said… if one’s friend was brutally murdered… wouldn’t he have shared every bit of information with the prosecutors?
December 31, 2023
I feel like the writer did what he could for the subject (that dolt Kato, he's like the idiot that just keeps surviving the zombies out of cowardice and stupidity, but her, he's surviving) and with a good commentary. I mean it's a thirty year old book, but didn't feel super dated. As a HW fan I appreciated the snippets on Faye.
April 16, 2021
The Story of America's Most Famous "Good Time Charlie."
April 28, 2016
After watching the recent TV miniseries about the O.J. Simpson murder trial, I have been binge-reading the books I didn't read originally after the trial was over (and I read a LOT of them then).
I really don't understand why people bothered to publish the books in the middle of the trial, like this one was (June 1995). Why not wait till they knew what the verdict was? Anyway, this guy had originally interviewed Kaelin for a book, then the book was off, then this author published it later without Kato's involvement. The book first goes into the days immediately before and after the murders, provides the verbatim testimony by Kaelin from the preliminary hearing and the trial itself, THEN goes back to 1992 when Kato first met Nicole Brown Simpson while on a skiing trip. He first was a tenant of Nicole's, then when she moved into her last home, he went to live in one of O.J.'s guest houses on his estate. I learned a little more about Kato, I guess, but the book was mainly of novelty value to me.
**#48 of 120 books pledged to read/review during 2016**
I really don't understand why people bothered to publish the books in the middle of the trial, like this one was (June 1995). Why not wait till they knew what the verdict was? Anyway, this guy had originally interviewed Kaelin for a book, then the book was off, then this author published it later without Kato's involvement. The book first goes into the days immediately before and after the murders, provides the verbatim testimony by Kaelin from the preliminary hearing and the trial itself, THEN goes back to 1992 when Kato first met Nicole Brown Simpson while on a skiing trip. He first was a tenant of Nicole's, then when she moved into her last home, he went to live in one of O.J.'s guest houses on his estate. I learned a little more about Kato, I guess, but the book was mainly of novelty value to me.
**#48 of 120 books pledged to read/review during 2016**
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews