After O.J. Simpson was granted parole in a highly covered hearing Thursday, Christopher Darden recalled the personal costs he paid for being one of the Los Angeles prosecutors who tried the 1994 murder case against the former athlete.
The former prosecutor spoke with NBC News about that famous trial, saying it was "a very dangerous time" for him. Darden explained that he and his family were harassed and threatened by those who didn't agree with the prosecution and he was seen as a "traitor" to his own race.
"I was in a constant state of anger," Darden said.
Darden also revealed to NBC News for the first time that a week after the verdict he took a phone call from an unlikely mentor: Bill Cosby.
“[Cosby] was there for me. He supported me. He would have done anything for me,” Darden said. “He wanted me to try and understand why the black community acted the way that it did [and] not to be bitter. He was a sort-of mentor.”
He added that "it's painful" as he watches Cosby go through his own legal battles.
