The Baltimore Ravens terminated the contract of Ray Rice following the release of a disturbing video showing the running back striking his then-fiancee Janay Palmer and knocking her unconscious.
The White House released a statement on the incident on Monday:
"The President is the father of two daughters. And like any American, he believes that domestic violence is contemptible and unacceptable in a civilized society. Hitting a woman is not something a real man does, and that's true whether or not an act of violence happens in the public eye, or, far too often, behind closed doors. Stopping domestic violence is something that's bigger than football - and all of us have a responsibility to put a stop to it."
Press Secretary Josh Earnest released the statement after talking to President Obama Monday evening.
Everything you need to know
Everything you need to know
Rice was originally suspended by the NFL for two games before the latest video prompted an indefinite suspension by the league. The incident took place at an Atlantic City casino on Feb. 15. Both the Ravens and the NFL insist they were not aware of the newest footage to surface from TMZ before Monday.
As part of the response to the original outcry over Rice's lenient punishment, the NFL admitted missteps and revised its domestic abuse policy at the end of August. You can find a complete timeline of the events that led to Rice's indefinite suspension here.