Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua is in rehab and was there before he was sued by a woman who says he made an antisemitic statement and bit her on the shoulder, according to his attorney.
“He was in [rehab] a substantial period of time before any of these allegations broke ... and he’s scheduled to be there for a while longer,” Levi McCathern told The California Post.
McCathern told the newspaper Nacua’s decision to enter rehab was not a direct response to the lawsuit his accuser filed against him by Madison Atiabi last month, but an attempt “to improve his overall behavior in every aspect of his life.”
Madison Atiabi and her attorney, Joseph Kar, claim Nacua said “fuck all Jews” during a New Year’s Eve dinner in Los Angeles last year. Atiabi is Jewish and says she “immediately felt uncomfortable and emotionally distressed” when the wide receiver made the comments. She says Nacua also bit her and left teeth marks on her shoulder later in the night. The lawsuit also alleges that Nacua bit Atiabi’s friend on the thumb “with such force that her companion screamed in acute pain”.
McCathern, has strongly denied Nacua made any antisemitic statements. He described the bites as “horseplay”. McCathern added that “multiple sober witnesses have stated unequivocally that Puka never made the comments Ms Atiabi claims”.
Nacua issued an apology last December after performing a gesture that plays upon antisemitic tropes while appearing on an internet livestream.
Nacua led the league with 129 catches last season while racking up 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns before leading the NFL again with 24 catches for 332 yards and two TDs in the playoffs.
The 24-year-old is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Rams this offseason that undoubtedly would make him one of the highest-paid receivers in NFL history, but the Rams haven’t announced any progress on a new deal.
