Ray Rice said Tuesday that he and his wife, Janay, are in “good spirits” one day after TMZSports.com released video of him punching her in the face in a casino elevator.
Janay released a statement earlier in the day following the news that Rice was released by the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL. Janay stood by her husband in her post, and just a few hours later, ESPN’s Josina Anderson reached the couple via phone.
Despite all that has transpired in the last two days, the couple said they’re continuing to support one another.
“I have to be strong for my wife,” Rice told Anderson. “She is so strong. We are in good spirits. We have a lot of people praying for us and we’ll continue to support each other. I have to be there for (Janay) and my family right now and work through this.”
Rice then handed the phone to his wife, who repeated Ray’s sentiment but added this is a “family matter.”
“I love my husband. I support him,” Janay Rice said. “I want people to respect our privacy in this family matter.”
CNN’s Rachel Nichols also reached out to the running back, who told her in a text message that he’s “holding strong for my wife and kid, that’s all I can do right now.”
Photo via Twitter/@SportingNews
