Janay Rice, the wife of Baltimore Ravens star running back Ray Rice, is defending her husband in the media after he was let go on Monday by the Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL.

Janay Rice Defends Husband Ray Rice

A new video from TMZ Sports that surfaced yesterday showing Ray Rice striking his then-fiancee, Janay Palmer, in a hotel elevator in February. Today, his wife has come to Rice’s defense and slammed the media.

On Instagram she wrote:

“I woke up this morning feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I’m mourning the death of my closest friend. But to have to accept the fact that it’s reality is a nightmare in itself. No one knows the pain that the media and unwanted option from the public has caused my family. To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret every day is a horrible thing. To take something away from the man I love that he has worked his ass off for all his life just to gain ratings is horrific.”

Months ago, a TMZ video showed Rice dragging Palmer, out of an elevator at the Revel Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. The Baltimore Ravens issued a two-game suspension, but no further punishment. Yesterday, when the team learned of the new video, they fired him immediately. “The Baltimore Ravens terminated the contract of RB Ray Rice this afternoon,” the team said in a Tweet.

Can Ray Rice to return to the NFL?

Former Baltimore Raven Brendon Ayanbadejo told The Buzzer on Fox that Rice could get a second chance to come back if he gets his act together and makes an effort to show support against domestic abuse. In the meantime, Baltimore residents are returning Ray Rice jerseys to Dick’s Sporting Goods. The sporting goods department store were told to pull Ray Rice jerseys from shelves immediately after the NFL announcement.