Just one day after an explosive new video surfaced showing Ray Rice hitting his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer, in the face in a hotel elevator, prompting the Baltimore Ravens to release the running back and the NFL to increase his suspension from two games to indefinite, the victim of the knockout has decided to defend her man!

[READ: Ray Rice Cut From Ravens After Disturbing ‘Knockout’ Footage Released… (VIDEO)]

Janay Rice, the wife of the embattled ball player, was featured in the video being knocked unconscious by her then-future husband, but that didn’t stop her from marrying him.

Now Janay’s proclaiming to the world how she really feels about the situation.  For the record, the Baltimore Ravens already knew her position but caught a ton of flack when they posted their tweet about it yesterday:

The Ravens deleted their tweet after the online backlash received, but now Janay herself has stated how she feels about the incident that has now cost her husband his lucrative pro-football job.

After all, Rice ‘stood’ by Janay after he knocked her out on that elevator floor, didn’t he? Loyalty over everything!

Details below…

Janay post the following message on her instagram last night:

“I woke up this morning feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I’m mourning the death of my closest friend,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

“But to have to accept the fact that it’s reality is a nightmare itself. No one knows the pain that the media & unwanted [opinions] from the public has caused my family. To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret everyday 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!”

Janay is doing exactly what a wife is supposed to do.  I expected nothing less from her. *shrug*

What do you think of Janay’s decision to stand by her man?

Shocked? or Nah?