During the Los Angeles Rams victory celebration, a photographer was knocked off the stage in a breathtaking image that could have been straight out of a movie, but had real-life consequences. Furthermore, her friends are standing up to assist her in her endeavor.
During a live stream from the event, Kelly Smiley was seen suddenly tumbling straight down out of the screen as she stood at the edge of the stage with cameras dangling from both shoulders. When it happened, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and his wife, Kelly Stafford, were standing close by. When Kelly was able to help her as much as she could from the stage, the feed was pulled back to a wide shot of the stage and audience.
Afterwards, Smiley posted the video from the emergency department, where she was waiting for X-ray findings. She stated that both cameras had malfunctioned. She claimed that she had cracked her spine in the fall a couple of hours after she had reported it.
@AdamSchefter get on Matthew Stafford watching a photographer fall of the stage at the Rams parade and walk away 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/LfjSJ3fzYy
— LoganTheHammer (@LoganTheHammer) February 16, 2022
She wrote on her Instagram story that she had received an update “I’m doing fine. A night in the trauma center has been scheduled. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me.” It seemed like she had a brace across her torso.
The Rams later issued a joint statement with Matthew and Kelly Stafford, in which they expressed regret for the event and revealed that they will cover the costs of Smiley’s hospital bills as well as the cost of her camera replacements.
Joint statement from the L.A. Rams and Matthew and Kelly Stafford, on Kelly Smiley, the photographer who fractured her spine after falling during the team’s Super Bowl parade: pic.twitter.com/V9l4EG8fE0
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) February 17, 2022
Smiley is an award-winning photographer who attended San Diego State University and is known as a “Aztec legend,” according to PFF’s Austin Gayle, who shared his thoughts on the photographer on Twitter. According to her website, she is a full-time picture editor for the NFL and also does freelance work for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. She was in attendance at SoFi Stadium for the Rams’ Super Bowl triumph on Sunday.
Before the Rams declared that they would cover Smiley’s hospital fees and camera replacements, a friend established a GoFundMe to assist her with the financial burden.
“Kelly is adored by everyone who knows her, and she is a well-respected individual in the photographic community,” her friend Tim Kothlow wrote on the page dedicated to Kelly. Kothlow also works as a photo editor for the National Football League.
Donations increased dramatically throughout the morning as word of the GoFundMe campaign traveled across social media outlets. By 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, more than $20,000 had been raised, accounting for more than two-thirds of the $30,000 goal.
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