Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nakua is in rehab and was there before he was sued by a woman who said he made anti-Semitic statements and bit her on the shoulder, according to his lawyer.
“He was in (rehab) for a long time before any of these allegations came forward … and he’s scheduled to stay there for quite some time longer,” Levi McCathern told The California Post.
McCathern told the newspaper that Necua’s decision to enter rehab was not a direct response to the lawsuit filed against him by Madison Attiabi last month, but rather “an effort to improve his overall behavior in every aspect of his life.”
Madison Attiabi and her attorney, Joseph Carr, claim that Nacua said “fuck all the Jews” during a New Year’s Eve dinner in Los Angeles last year. Atiyabi is Jewish and says she “immediately felt uncomfortable and emotionally distressed” when the wide receiver made the comment. She says Nakua also bit her and left teeth marks on her shoulder at night. The lawsuit also alleges that Nakuya bit Atiyabi’s friend’s thumb “with such force that his companion screamed in intense pain”.
McCathern has strongly denied Necuah made any anti-Semitic statements. He described cutting as “horse play.” McCathern said that “numerous witnesses have stated unequivocally that Puka never made comments such as those Ms. Atiyabi claims”.
Nakua issues apology After making a gesture that bordered on anti-Semitism while appearing on an Internet livestream last December.
Nacua led the league with 129 catches last season while finishing with 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns and led the NFL again in the playoffs with 24 catches for 332 yards and two TDs.
The 24-year-old is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Rams this offseason, which would undoubtedly make him one of the highest-paid receivers in NFL history, but the Rams have not announced any progress on a new deal.
