Ravens deny giving Ray and Janay Rice script for May press conference
The Baltimore Ravens have fired back in response to allegations that they coached Ray Rice and his wife, Janay, about what to say in the couple's May press conference regarding Rice's domestic violence incident.
The Rices, during interviews published and televised in the days since he won his appeal and immediate reinstatement to the NFL, said the Ravens gave Janay Rice a script to follow. In that press conference, she apologized for her role in the February incident in which her then-fiancee punched her in an Atlantic City elevator.
Kevin Byrne, the Ravens' senior vice president of public and community relations, issued a statement Wednesday in which he said Ray Rice, who was cut by the team in September, was given a list of "talking points" but that he twice told the Ravens his wife did not need assistance.
"Both times, Ray declined and said: 'She's good. She knows what she wants to say,'" Byrne said in his statement.
"At no time prior to the May 23 session did we provide talking points, a script or suggested script to Janay or speak with her about the press event. We did not recommend or suggest to Ray or Janay that she apologize in any way."
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