LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has broken his silence after footage emerged of him walking away from an NFL photographer who broke her spine in a fall.
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Video footage saw Matthew and wife Kelly ask Kelly Smiley to take a picture of the two together during the Super Bowl parade, but she stepped back and fell off the stage. Matthew was heavily criticized online as he simply turned around and walked away instead of helping; wife Kelly suggested later on social media that he was heavily intoxicated.
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"That obviously happened really quickly and suddenly and unexpectedly, and I wish I had a better reaction in the moment," Matthew said on Kelly's podcast The Morning After.
"I didn't. I apologized to her for that, but glad that all in all she's doing all right. So, one of those things you try to train your reactions to be a little bit better next time," he added.
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Kelly recalled the incident, and shared that "it was an awful, awful moment."
"Matthew looked at me and said 'check her,' and turned around," Kelly said. "I went straight to her and I could see she was OK."
Matthew and Kelly moved to LA in 2021
"We have been in communication with Kelly Smiley since yesterday's incident and we are sorry for what happened," the Staffords and the LA Rams shared in a joint statement the day after the accident occurred.
"As we told Kelly, we will be covering all her hospital bills and replacing her cameras. We wish her a speedy recovery."
The video saw her step back off the stage, and Matthew's mouth dropped open in shock before he appeared to tell wife Kelly to "take care of it".
Matthew speaks during the parade
Kelly, who wore a Rams blue blazer and backwards baseball cap, stood frozen in shock before she made her way to the edge of the stage to try and help.
Smiley had also posted an update on her Instagram account, sharing with her followers that she spent a night at a trauma center.
Kelly and Matthew were joined by the LA Rams and officials for a big celebration throughout the city after their win at the 56th Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals. They won 23-20.
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