INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 13: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams reacts during the second quarter of Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and his wife, Kelly, said that they will pay for a photographer’s medical bills and replace her cameras after she fell off the stage—directly in front of the two—at the team’s Super Bowl celebration Wednesday.
Kelly Smiley, photo editor for the NFL, NBA and NHL as well as a freelance photographer, tweeted Thursday that she fractured her spine in the fall. As she stepped backward on the stage, she fell and both of her cameras were broken, she added.
Video shows the Staffords watching the fall and Matthew walking away and drinking water. Kelly, though, rushed to check on her. Matthew was dragged on social media for his part.
“We have been in communication with Kelly Smiley since yesterday’s incident and we are sorry for what happened,” the Rams and Staffords said in a joint statement. “As we told Kelly, we will be covering all her hospital bills and replacing her cameras. We wish her a speedy recovery.”
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