The Kansas City Chiefs are “aware” of domestic violence allegations posted via social media by wide receiver Rashee Rice’s ex-girlfriend.
“The club is aware of the allegations on social media and is in communication with the National Football League. We have no further comment at this time,” the team said in a statement to ESPN and People on Wednesday, January 7.
Earlier on Wednesday, Rice’s ex, Dacoda Nichole Jones, shared graphic photos to Instagram of bruises on her torso, and damage to her home, detailing alleged abuse she said she experienced “for years.”
Jones did not name the alleged perpetrator in her post.
Rice has yet to publicly comment on Jones’ claims.
Us Weekly has reached out to Rice and the Chiefs for further comment.
Rice, 25, and Jones share two sons, Cayden and Cassai.
In August, Rice was suspended for the first six games of the 2025 NFL season following his involvement in a March 2024 car accident that left multiple people injured. Prosecutors said that Rice drove 119 mph on a Dallas highway, causing injury to others.
Rice was sentenced to five years’ probation and 30 days in jail in July, after pleading guilty to two third-degree felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury.
“Last March, I was involved in a high-speed accident in Dallas,” Rice said in a statement through his attorney following his sentencing. “There have been a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages that my actions caused, and I will continue working within my means to make sure that everyone impacted will be made whole.”
The NFL star added, “I urge everyone to mind the speed limit, drive safe and drive smart. Last and certainly not least, I am profoundly sorry for the physical damages to person and property. I fully apologize for the harm I caused to innocent drivers and their families.”
In September, Rice’s teammate Travis Kelce was criticized for wearing a T-shirt supporting the suspended player.
Kelce, 36, and teammate Tyquan Thornton were spotted wearing shirts emblazoned with photos of Rice and the words “Free 4,” a reference to the wide receiver’s jersey number, while arriving at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium.
An attorney for Kathryn Kuykendal, one of the victims in the March 2024 incident, hit out at the clothing choice. In April, Kuykendal reached a civil settlement with Rice over injuries she said she sustained when Rice’s Lamborghini hit the Uber she was traveling in.
Kuykendal’s attorney, Marc Lenahan, told TMZ in September, “I respect that Kelce and Thornton support their teammate, but the ‘gym teacher’ needs to talk with the history teacher.”
“Rashee isn’t Nelson Mandela or Pepe Mujica, men who fought for what they believed in,” Lenahan said.
He continued, “Free Rashee? He already thinks he’s getting away scot-free. He’s not paid a single cent of the $1.1 million judgment he already owes our client, who is living anything but pain-free. Talk [and] T-shirts are cheap. If Kelce and Thornton truly believed in Rashee, they’d loan him the money to pay his victims. But since they won’t do that, maybe they can at least be better role models by wearing a T-shirt with an important public service warning: ‘Flee 4!’”
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
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