Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua has checked into a luxury treatment facility in Malibu to focus on “personal growth” and improve his behavior ahead of the upcoming NFL season, his attorney confirmed Tuesday.
The 24-year-old Pro Bowl receiver entered the state-of-the-art holistic care center last month, according to Levi McCathern, Nacua’s attorney. The facility specializes in treating issues including drug and alcohol addiction, chronic pain and mental health conditions. McCathern said Nacua has been there “a substantial period of time” and is scheduled to remain “for a while longer,” but expects to be released in plenty of time for the Rams’ organized team activities in May.
“This is about Puka improving his overall behavior in every aspect of his life that he can do it,” McCathern told reporters. “He’s in great spirits. I think he’s doing absolutely fabulous.”
The news comes weeks after Nacua was named in a lawsuit filed by Madison Atiabi, 24, alleging he bit her on the shoulder during a drunken New Year’s Eve gathering in Los Angeles on Dec. 31. Atiabi claimed the bite broke the skin and caused severe pain after Nacua allegedly made her uncomfortable and uttered an antisemitic remark at a dinner earlier that night. She filed for a temporary restraining order on March 24 but withdrew the request three days later to focus on the civil lawsuit filed March 25. The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office is investigating the claims.
McCathern has denied any antisemitic statements and described the alleged bite as mutual “horseplay” rather than assault. He said Nacua had already been at the Malibu facility before the allegations became public and that media coverage of the incident contributed to the decision to extend his stay, but was not the direct cause.
Video obtained by TMZ from the night in question shows Atiabi dancing in a Sprinter van while Nacua was passed out nearby. Nacua’s camp has vowed to fight the lawsuit and has indicated plans to file a countersuit.
This is not Nacua’s first off-field alcohol-related incident this offseason. He was also seen stumbling and dancing in the street in San Francisco during Super Bowl week in February.
Nacua, who burst onto the scene as an undrafted rookie in 2023 and has earned two Pro Bowl nods, remains one of the NFL’s top young receivers. Rams coach Sean McVay has privately expressed concern about how the recent controversies could affect Nacua’s long-term contract negotiations, sources told Yahoo Sports.
The Rams have not issued a public statement on Nacua’s rehab stay. The team opens training camp in late July.
