Ah, 2014, the year of the scandal.
Janay Rice, wife of Baltimore Raven’s running back Ray Rice got caught in the 2014 scandal flurry when a video of her husband punching her in an elevator leaked to the media this September. The shocking video caused public outrage, sparked a national conversation about domestic violence, and caused the NFL to ban Ray Rice from the league indefinitely. Now, with her husband’s appeal for reinstatement won, Janay Rice spoke to ESPN and detailed her side of the story. The lengthy interview, done with ESPN’s Jemele Hill chronicles the events of the violent video the world saw, its devastating aftermath, and Janay and Ray’s relationship. According to ESPN no question was left unasked. Say what you want about the interview, however one thing cannot be doubted: Janay is adamant about supporting her husband. Here are some key quotes:
Her parents reaction:
“Ray accepted responsibility from the moment we left the police station but even though my parents have always loved Ray, they made it clear their daughter would be treated right.”
Seeing the video:
“The video didn’t make me rethink our relationship, but I did want more of an explanation from him. I asked him why he left me on the floor like that. I asked him how he felt when he saw that I was unconscious.”
Getting married the day after Ray Rice was indicted for aggravated assault:
“We’d been together seven years and had been engaged for two. What happened that night wasn’t going to change the fact that we were going to get married.”
Accepting responsibility for her role in the incident:
“I had already apologized to Ray, and I felt that I should take responsibility for what I did. Even though this followed the Ravens’ suggested script, I owned my words.”
How she will explain the incident to her daughter:
“I will obviously tell her that it was wrong, and it’s not something that you allow and to respect herself foremost, just like I was told as a child. But I’ll also tell her that people make mistakes and you have to learn from them.”
Read the interview in its entirety on ESPN.com
-Alexandria Tribble (@Y_iouwta)
