Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice has been defended by his wife, who slammed the decision to cut him from the roster and the media coverage.

The Ravens opted to release Rice after a new video emerged of him assaulting his wife, with the NFL increasing their initial suspension from two games to an indefinite ban.

"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," Janay Rice wrote on Instagram.

Baltimore reached their decision in a quick meeting which included coach John Harbaugh, although they insisted they had not seen the new footage until its release this week.