Janay Rice says Ravens suggested she apologize during press conference

There have been countless missteps from many parties in the Ray Rice domestic violence incident, and Janay Rice held the Baltimore Ravens accountable for one of them.

Janay Rice said before a now infamous press conference in May with her and Ray Rice, the Baltimore Ravens "suggested" that she apologize for her role in a domestic violence incident. In February, Janay Rice was punched in an Atlantic City elevator by Ray Rice and knocked unconscious.

When Janay Rice apologized in May, it set off a public outcry and became one of the key moments of the entire ordeal. The Ravens came under heat for tweeting out that Janay Rice "says she deeply regrets the role that she played" from the team's official Twitter account. Janay Rice said it was the Ravens' idea to hold the press conference. It has been chronicled many times that Ray Rice was one of the most popular players within the organization.

Janay Rice appeared on NBC's "Today" show on Monday and Tuesday and in an interview with Matt Lauer and expressed that while she apologized and was not without blame, it was the Ravens' idea for her to do so and she wouldn't have done it without the team suggesting it.

Lauer: "And did anyone at the Ravens say, 'Janay, it would be really good if you issue some kind of an apology?"

Janay Rice: "They suggested it, yes."

Lauer: "Did they come up with the wording?"

Janay Rice: "No, not specifically. They basically gave us a general script."

Lauer: "That really started it."

Janay Rice: "And that was frustrating for me because obviously people took it as I'm taking light off of what Ray did. In no way. Not at all. 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. I did something wrong too. Not taking any light off what Ray did because I agree with everybody else, it was wrong."

Lauer: "The Ravens tweeted out that portion of that statement, your apology, and then they quickly took it down, because I think they understood very fast the reaction to that apology. Do you think the reaction was warranted from people around the country."

Janay Rice: "I completely understood it. Which was frustrating because the whole thing was just awkward, to be honest."

Lauer: "But had it not been for the Ravens, urging you or suggesting you apologize, you would have never been at that press conference and you would have never apologized."

Janay Rice: "No. No."

The exchange about the press conference begins at 4:33 of this clip:

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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