LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is denying claims made in a lawsuit filed against him by a woman, who alleged that the three-year NFL veteran made an “unprovoked antisemitic statement” and later bit her on the shoulder.
The civil lawsuit, filed in a Los Angeles court, cites gender violence, assault and battery, and negligence, ESPN reported.
Nacua, 24, is accused of uttering an offensive remark about Jewish people during a group New Year’s Eve dinner, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The comment was made “in a manner audible to (the plaintiff) and others at the table.”
Rams receiver Puka Nacua sued for allegedly making antisemitic remark, biting woman https://t.co/OQhp3zWdHZ
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The plaintiff “immediately felt uncomfortable and emotionally distressed” because of her Jewish faith, ESPN reported, citing court documents.
Also in the lawsuit, the plaintiff alleged that she was in a vehicle with Nacua when he “forcibly” bit her on the left shoulder, according to the cable sports news outlet.
She alleged that the bite left “a circular imprint of his teeth on her body.”
News of the lawsuit was first reported by TMZ.
Nacua has denied the allegations “in the strongest possible terms,” his attorney, Levi G. McCathern, II said in a statement.
“We will be filing a defamation lawsuit and pursuing all available legal remedies in response to these false and damaging statements,” McCathern added. “Let’s be clear about what this case is — and what it is not. This matter is not sexual in nature, nor does it involve any allegation of domestic violence.
“If it did, the filings would look very different. They do not. It also doesn’t involve any elements of antisemitism.”
In December, Nacua issued a statement apologizing for performing a gesture on an internet livestream that was “antisemitic in nature and perpetuated harmful stereotypes against Jewish people,” ESPN and USA Today reported.
The Rams have not commented about the lawsuit or allegations. But in December the team issued a statement, noting that “There is no place in this world for Antisemitism as well as other forms of prejudice or hostility toward the Jewish people and people of any religion, ethnicity, or race.”
The woman filed for a temporary restraining order, but it was denied, ESPN reported. A hearing is scheduled for April 14.
Nacua is entering the final year of his rookie contract, USA Today reported.
He appeared in 16 games for the Rams during the 2025 season, starting in 15. A fifth-round choice of the Rams in the 2023 NFL draft, Nacua caught a league-leading 129 passes for 1,725 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He starred during the 2025 postseason, leading the NFL again with 24 catches for 332 yards and two touchdowns, KABC reported.
He led the Rams to the NFC Championship Game, where the team lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
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