Rams receiver Puka Nacua sued for allegedly making antisemitic remark, biting woman
Star Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua has been sued for assault and battery by a woman who says he made antisemitic remarks and bit her on the shoulder on New Year’s Eve
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Star Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua has been sued for assault and battery by a woman who says he made an antisemitic statement and bit her on the shoulder on New Year's Eve.
The civil lawsuit was filed this week in Los Angeles, according to TMZ. The suit also cites gender violence and negligence.
Plaintiff Madison Atiabi and her attorney, Joseph Kar, claim Nacua made an antisemitic exclamation that emotionally distressed her when they were together in Century City. She says Nacua bit her and left teeth marks on her shoulder when they were in a van together later in the night, and she claims Nacua also bit her friend's thumb.
Nacua’s attorney, Levi McCathern, has already strongly denied Nacua made any antisemitic statements. He described the bites as “horseplay.”
Nacua had previously issued an apology last December after performing a gesture that plays upon antisemitic tropes while appearing on an internet livestream.
Recommended for you
Nacua has been one of the most productive receivers in NFL history over his first three seasons with the Rams, who drafted him out of BYU in 2023 with the final pick of the fifth round. He 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.
Nacua 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.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.