National Football League

Ravens deny they wrote script for Ray and Janay Rice

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:46 p.m. ET

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OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens say they didn't write a script for Ray Rice and Janay Rice during their joint news conference on May 23.

In an interview this week on the ''Today'' show, Janay Rice said the team suggested to her that she apologize for her involvement in the February incident in which Ray punched her in an elevator.

Janay Rice also said the Ravens gave the couple ''a general script'' for the news conference.

Janay Rice told Today: ''I was ready to do anything that was going to help the situation. Help the way we looked in the media, help his image, help obviously his career. They told us earlier that week we would do the press conference, and I was fine with it.''

''I was basically ... not doing what I was told, but at the same time, I didn't think it was completely wrong for me to apologize because at the end of the day, I got arrested, too. So I did something wrong, too. Not taking any light off of what Ray did because I agree with everybody else. It was wrong.''

Kevin Byrne, Senior Vice President of Public and Community Relations for the Ravens, said in a statement Wednesday that the team provided talking points to Ray, but not Janay.

''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,'' Byrne wrote. ''We did not recommend or suggest to Ray or Janay that she apologize in any way.''

After Ray Rice told the Ravens he wanted Janay to speak to the media at the news conference, Byrne said he asked the running back ''on two different days if Ray wanted me to speak with Janay in advance of the press session. Both times, Ray declined and said: 'She's good. She knows what she wants to say.'''

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