Janay Rice Finally Speaks Out, Recalls Ray’s Attack & Aftermath

NFL free agent Ray Rice's wife, Janay, has finally come forward to speak on becoming one of the biggest sports headlines of the year after leaked footage of her husband's now-infamous attack surfaced.

In an exclusive interview with ESPN, Rice recalled how she felt immediately following the February assault.

“At first, I was very angry, and I didn’t know what to say. This came out of nowhere. Nothing like this had ever happened before. I knew it wasn’t him. But as angry as I was, I knew it was something that we could move on from because I know Ray. I thought about our daughter. When she comes in the room, it’s like nothing is going on. We knew it was definitely going to take work, and we knew we had to be by each other’s side. I just needed to get away from him for a little while, and spend a few hours taking my space to get my thoughts together.” (ESPN)

Check out what Janay had to say about Ray’s NFL future right here…

Mrs. Rice also talked about the learning experience they both underwent since last winter.

“We have no guarantees about Ray’s future in football, but I know that this experience has made us far more aware of what’s really important and how fortunate we are. We saw the impact of domestic violence on families from the time we spent last year at House of Ruth, a domestic violence center in Baltimore, serving holiday meals to women and their families.” (ESPN)

According to reports, U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones revealed her decision to side with Rice in his appeal request Friday (November 28).

“In this arbitration, the NFL argues that Commissioner Goodell was misled when he disciplined Rice the first time. Because, after careful consideration of all of the evidence, I am not persuaded that Rice lied to, or misled, the NFL at his June interview, I find that the indefinite suspension was an abuse of discretion and must be vacated,” Jones’ decision stated. (ESPN)

Immediately following the decision, Rice spoke out in a statement.

“I would like to thank Judge Barbara Jones, the NFL Players Association, my attorneys, agents, advisors, family, friends and fans — but most importantly, my wife Janay. I made an inexcusable mistake and accept full responsibility for my actions.” (Statement)