The events that transpired between Ray Rice and his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer, were shocking to the public when footage was nationally publicized.
As TMZ and ESPN documented every moment of the incident that took place inside of an Atlantic City casino elevator, the woman at the center of it all had stood by a man vilified by all for his actions. Despite very few words in lieu of the news conferences, television pundit’s closing remarks, and an NFL commissioner who was trying to keep a lid on it all, Palmer never spoke up about her part in the story—until now.
Over the weekend, Janay Rice, now married, sat down for an exclusive chat with ESPN’s Jemele Hill. The first-person account allows her to share recounts of the events and reveals feelings that the public may not known she had. Rice’s three-hour interview showed that she was not happy with then Baltimore Ravens’ orchestrated news conference back in May, and she was even more disheartened after the team let go her husband once the full video leaked online. Coincidentally, this story was published roughly at the same time an arbitrator announced that her husband’s indefinite NFL suspension was overturned.
Now, the former Pro Bowl running back is able to sign with any team that wishes to hire his services.
With NBC slated to feature the couple on the Today show for another exclusive interview, it seems that Janay and Ray are getting a second chance to change the public’s perception of them. But are they ready to feel differently about the two? If anything has changed between the two, does Janay Rice sharing her side of the story help shift the couple’s image?
We here at Black Enterprise were interested in the Rice family’s ordeal, so we decided to break down Janay’s first-person narrative in attempt to showcase some interesting tidbits we learned. If you haven’t checked out Janay Rice’s entire story, be sure to check out the must-read content by clicking here. On the following pages, we highlight the key points.
The Argument Was Insignificant
Engaging in an evening with family and friends, Ray and Janay decided to cap off their festivities with a late-night jaunt to a restaurant inside the casino. According to Mrs. Rice, her and her husband were bickering back and forth but, about what, no one can exactly remember. In her chat with ESPN, Janay says, “None of the six of us can remember exactly what Ray and I were arguing about. It was that insignificant.”
Shocked And Forgotten
While millions of people have now seen both versions of the tape, according to Janay Rice, when they got into the elevator what happened inside was “foggy” to her. “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.” The wife of the former Baltimore Ravens footballer does not remember what transpired from inside the elevator.
Ain’t No Video Damning Enough
Janay and Ray were hot in the news
after the assault, but even with it in the public’s consciousness and a video for YouTubers to look at, it didn’t make the former rethink their relationship. “I did want more of an explanation from him,” Janay told Jemele Hill, who admitted that she didn’t watch the video after it first leaked. Interestingly enough, the couple decided to start premarital counseling so that they could “go into a marriage with a strong foundation.”One Wedding And An Indictment
“Although our lives weren’t back to normal, we didn’t want that to stop our marriage plans,” Janay admitted to Jemele in her ESPN sit-down. The couple were discussed what type of wedding they wanted after attending a Christian counseling conference for professional athletes in San Diego. Once a decision was made (“We agreed that having something private and intimate would be great for us.”) — the two got married on March 28, which was one whole day after Ray Rice was indicted for aggravated assault. “What happened that night wasn’t going to change the fact that we were going to get married,” Mrs. Rice confidently said.
Follow The Ravens’ Script
The May 23 press conference found Ray and Janay Rice standing in front of the press to discuss their actions. While they wouldn’t be taking questions from the media, Janay said that she “regretted her role” in the incident. She admitted that she apologized to Ray for putting her hands on him, and felt that she should “take responsibility for what I did,” which followed the Ravens’ suggested script.
The NFL Focused On Ray Rice
“I really didn’t think they would ask me any questions,” Janay admitted, when she was in front of the NFL executives on June 16. Prior to meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Mrs. Rice was asked how she felt about the incident. According to her, “I broke down in tears,” as she struggled to get a single word out. The piece finds Janay in front of the NFL Commissioner, whom, according to her, “actually seemed to care about the facts and wanted to make sure we would help other people learn from this experience.”
Refused To Watch Full Video
When word broke that the full video of the incident broke on TMZ, Janay sent out a text to everybody close to her, saying, “The video’s out. I would ask you not to watch it.” Her husband, Ray, watched it, but Janay didn’t need the visual. “How was seeing it going to help me? I knew it was only the devil trying to come in and ruin how far we’ve come,” she confessed.
Surprised The Ravens Dropped Ray
“They were our family,” Janay said in her exclusive chat with ESPN. “I was extremely surprised and angry that the Ravens released him, because they know him.” Two people were outed in Mrs. Rice’s conversation: Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti and general manager Ozzie Newsome. “Anytime the Ravens needed someone for a community event, Ray was their man,” she said. “It seemed like a knee-jerk reaction for publicity reasons, [but] I know that Bisciotti loves Ray, even to this day.”
Found A Silver Lining In A Dark Cloud
Worried about Ray’s future in football, Janay found solace in knowing that this experience made the two “far more aware of what’s really important” in their lives. She mentions the impact of domestic violence on their family and others from the time spent in 2013 at House of Ruth, a domestic violence center in Baltimore. Ray and Janay served holiday meals to battered women and their families.
Still Finds It Hard To Be Labeled A ‘Victim’
Janay Rice might not have the court of public opinion on her side when it comes to her husband, but she’s not ready to accept the label of being a “victim.” “I know there are so many different opinions out there about me,” she says. “I’m weak, I’m making excuses and covering up abuse, [but] however I am a strong woman and a I come from a strong family.” Janay concludes that she has never suffered from abuse prior to the elevator incident and has never seen any woman in her family physically abused. She quotes some advice from her father that he told her and her sister when they were growing up, “[You] don’t need a man to make [you], if anything it’s the man who needs us.”
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