The video of Ray Rice punching his wife unconscious is horrifying, but she continues to defend him, saying their love it real. INSIDE EDITION explains.
Ray Rice's wife is speaking out about the shocking surveillance video that has outraged the nation, and Janay Rice is coming to her husband's defense!
She said in a statement Tuesday morning on Instagram,“I woke up this morning, feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I’m mourning the death of my closest friend.”
She continued to say, “No one knows the pain that the media & unwanted options from the public has caused my family. To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret everyday is a horrible thing. To take something away from the man I love that he has worked his [expletive] off for all his life just to gain ratings is horrific. This is our life! What don't you all get. If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us, make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you've succeeded on so many levels.”
She closed her statement with the words, “Just know we will continue to grow & show the world what real love is!”
Reaction is pouring in. HLN host Jane Velez-Mitchell told INSIDE EDITION, "I would say to Janay that you are not alone. There are many people in your situation. I can understand your pain and your anguish. There are places where you can get help and get objective input into what is going on."
Ray Rice is also breaking his silence telling an ESPN reporter, "I have to be strong for my wife. She is so strong. We are in good spirits. We have a lot of people praying for us and will continue to support each other. I have to be there for (Janay) and my family right now and work through this."
Velez-Mitchell said, "Ray Rice absolutely should be banned from the NFL. Lifetime ban, because this is an outrage!"
INSIDE EDITION is now learning there is audio of the attack inside the elevator that has not been made public. In it, you can hear Ray and Janay shouting obscenities at each other.
Then, she seemed to spit in his face. That's when he threw a punch that knocked her out cold.
As he dragged the unconscious Janay out of the elevator at the now-closed Revel Casino in Atlantic City, a security guard could be heard saying: "She's drunk, right?" [Source: Associated Press]
The security guard then said, "No cops."
Even President Obama is weighing in on the video, saying in a statement, “Hitting a woman is not something a real man does. Stopping domestic violence is something that's bigger than football and all of us have a responsibility to put a stop to it.”
Tanya Brown, sister of the slain Nicole Brown Simpson, said the video brings back memories of the O.J. Simpson case.
She told CNN, "When I saw that video, it caused a real visceral reaction with me because now I know what my sister looked like when she was beaten. If something isn't done, Janay is going to end up like Nicole."
Some Baltimore Ravens fans are burning their Ray Rice jerseys and posting the videos on YouTube.
The NFL finds itself in a firestorm for saying it did not see the video inside the elevator before it was leaked to TMZ Sports.
But many are skeptical.
Bryant Gumbel said on Today show, "It is hard to believe they didn't see it. You also have to wonder, 'what did Roger Goodell think? She fainted?"
ESPN’s Keith Olbermann went one step farther, saying, "The Atlantic County, New Jersey district attorney's office, the Baltimore Ravens, the National Football League, and Commissioner Rodger Goodell have conducted a cover up!"
Fox and Friends are in hot water for these remarks on Monday about the shocking video.
Brian Kilmeade said, “I think the message is, take the stairs.”
Steve Doocy added, “The message is, when you're in an elevator, there's a camera.”
Kilmeade apologized 24 hours later, saying, “Comments that we made during this story made some feel like we are taking the situation too lightly. We are not, we were not. Domestic abuse is a very serious issue to us, I can assure you.”
