By Aaron Wilson, The Baltimore Sun

In an emotional message, the wife of former Ravens running back Ray Rice broke her silence Tuesday morning, one day after Rice’s contract was terminated and he was indefinitely suspended by the NFL.

Those events followed a graphic video surfacing in which Rice punched his then-fiancee, Janay Palmer, whom he later married and now has his last name. The couple has been in counseling since the incident in February, which occurred at Revel Casino, which has since closed, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The Baltimore Sun has verified that the following unabridged message from her official Instagram account is from Janay Rice and was intended to be released publicly:

“I woke up this morning feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I’m mourning the death of my closest friend,” Janay Rice wrote. “But to have to accept the fact that it’s reality is a nightmare in itself. No one knows the pain that (the) media & unwanted options 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.

“THIS IS OUR LIFE! What don’t you all get. If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us, make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you’ve succeeded on so many levels. Just know we will continue to grow & show the world what real love is! Ravensnation we love you!”

AFP Photo/Ronald Martinez

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