Ray Rice’s Wife Says She’s Not a Domestic Violence Victim

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Months ago footage of NFL star Ray Rice knocking his now wife out in an elevator made rounds on the web, and as a result of the controversy, Rice was dropped from the Baltimore Ravens.

His wife Janay  made it clear on Instagram that she felt the backlash was unwarranted and she just wanted the whole situation to die down.

In a new interview with ESPN’s Jemele Hill, Janay opens up about the situation and talks about what happened that night.

Janay writes:

As we were arguing, he was on his phone and not looking at me. I went to reach for his phone, and when he grabbed it back, he spit at me and I slapped him.

We got into the elevator and what happened inside is still foggy to me. The only thing I know — and I can’t even say I “remember” because I only know from what Ray has told me — is that I slapped him again and then he hit me. I remember nothing else from inside the elevator.

Janay also recalls how hard it was to see the elevator footage:

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. He told me he was in shock. I asked him what happened when we got out of the elevator. He told me he was terrified because security was there. I asked him how he felt seeing me like that. He said he was thinking, “What did I just do?” I didn’t watch the video again.

A lot of folks questioned why Janay and Ray quickly got married after the assault. But Janay claims that was always the plan:

We were married March 28, the day after he was indicted for aggravated assault. We didn’t choose that day because of the indictment. It just happened to be a Friday and a time when our families could attend our wedding without having to interrupt their work schedules. I didn’t understand why that was suspicious to some people. 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.

Janay also says she made a public apology because she feels she was wrong too:

Looking out over the media, I became angry, seeing all the people who had been covering this and adding to the story. I wanted to tell everyone what was really on my mind. When it was my turn to speak, I said I regretted my role in the incident. I know some people disagreed with me publicly apologizing. I’m not saying that what Ray did wasn’t wrong. He and I both know it was wrong. It’s been made clear to him that it was wrong. But at the same time, who am I to put my hands on somebody? 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.

And as far as being labeled a victim of domestic violence, Janay isn’t comfortable being referred to as such:

I still find it hard to accept being called a “victim.” I know there are so many different opinions out there about me — that I’m weak, that I’m making excuses and covering up abuse — and that some people question my motives for staying with Ray.

 

Janay also tells Jemele Hill she feels she’s not a victim because the elevator attack was the first time Ray has ever assaulted her.

Check out the video below: