On the same day that Ray Rice won his appeal and was reinstated to the NFL, NBC News announced that it got the first interview with the former Baltimore Ravens running back and his wife, Janay Rice.
Yesterday, the NFL confirmed that Rice’s indefinite suspension from the league was overturned. He was immediately reinstated, which means that a team could sign him.
Rice was initially only suspended two games for domestic violence against Janay in an incident in February. However, after TMZ posted the full video of the incident in September, the NFL indefinitely suspended him and the Ravens terminated his contract.
During the appeal process, the NFLPA argued that this second move punished Rice twice for the same action. The NFL said that Rice didn’t tell them the full story before the video was released. Ultimately, former U.S. Judge Barbara S. Jones ruled in favor of Rice.
Just after the suspension was lifted, NBC News announced that it snagged the first joint interview with Rice and Janay, who married on March 28. The couple, along with their family, were interviewed by Matt Lauer and the first excerpt from the interview was shown during NBC Nightly News last night. More clips will air on Sunday during Meet the Press and Sunday Night Football.
Janay also told her story to ESPN’s Jemele Hill earlier this month. That interview was just published on Friday. In it, Janay recounts the day in Atlantic City when Rice hit her in an elevator. They also discussed her relationship with Rice and what happened on Sept. 8, the day TMZ posted the full video.
“I've learned a lot about myself,” Janay told Hill. “I've realized how strong I am. People ask me how I've gotten through this and I honestly cannot put it into words. I have grown closer to God. My faith has gotten me through each day. It's been hard accepting the fact that God chose us for this, but at the same time it's put us in the position to help others.”
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