It has been a very difficult few months for Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua, even though he played great on the field last season, recording a total of 129 receptions for 1,715 yards. While Nacua’s on-field progress cannot be questioned, things are not the same off the field. Recently, the Rams star found himself in the middle of a major lawsuit as Madison Atiabi accused him of biting her at a dinner hosted by Puka Nacua and some Rams players on New Year’s Eve.

Recently, there has been a big update on the situation. “The restraining order request that was filed against Puka Nacua by the woman who accused the Rams star of biting her earlier this year was formally dismissed on Tuesday morning,” read California Post’s exclusive report. 

During the hearing, Joseph Karm Atiabi’s attorney informed Judge Debra R. Archuleta that his client wanted to drop the petition they submitted against Nacua on March 24, while highlighting that Nacua is currently in rehab.

“We understand Mr. Nacua is in rehabilitation at a facility for drug and alcohol rehabilitation,” said Kar, who appeared at the proceedings remotely. “At this time, we don’t want to pursue the petition.”

On March 27, the California Post reported that Atiabi’s attorney told them that his client was planning to pull the restraining order request as they wanted to “focus our efforts” on the follow-up lawsuit filed against Nacua on March 25.

“A voluntary withdrawal allows for the merits of the civil matter to be thoroughly investigated and tried to a jury,” Kar said at the time. “Civil harassment petitions are not normally ever tried before any jury while the civil lawsuit will be proceeding on all counts to a jury.”

Her lawyer, Joseph Kar, explained that they withdrew a harassment petition because those cases are usually handled only by a judge. By switching their focus to a civil lawsuit, they can take the case to a trial where a full-fledged jury will listen to the evidence and make a final decision.

The lawsuit they are willing to pursue now is one that contains serious claims about what happened on New Year’s Eve during a group dinner in Los Angeles. Atiabi is suing Nacua for gender violence, assault and battery, and negligence.

Atiabi claims that Nacua terrorized her during the NYE dinner and also made some antisemitic comments that made her extremely uncomfortable. Additionally, she also alleges that, without any reason or provocation, he bit her on the shoulder and her girlfriend on the thumb.

In her lawsuit, she’s asking for “general and compensatory damages in an amount to be proven at trial,” among other things, in addition to “special damages including medical expenses, past and future, in an amount to be proven at trial.”

At the time of the filing, Nacua’s attorney, Levi McCathern, denied all allegations, adding, “Puka denies these allegations in the strongest possible terms.”

While referring to Atiabi and her attorney, Levi also said, “They continue to make up stories trying to turn this minor episode into big dollars,” to The Post in late March. “In the end, they are going to be paying Puka and not the other way around.”

Following those claims, the Los Angeles police were also involved. A lawyer confirmed that the LAPD started a criminal investigation in early January to see if a physical assault occurred. Meanwhile, the Rams’ WR is currently in rehab for drug and alcohol recovery, while the Rams’ offseason workouts begin next week.

The Rams and Puka Nacua are in the middle of a contract situation 

Puka Nacua is a star on the field, but his behavior off the field is starting to overshadow his talent. As he enters the final year of his rookie deal, the team has given him a stern warning: fix your behavior or lose out on a massive payday.

The Rams aren’t hiding their frustration. While Nacua’s stats usually guarantee a top-tier salary, his personal choices are making the team hesitate.

“The Rams made it clear publicly and even more firmly behind the scenes in recent weeks that Nacua will have to correct his off-field behavior to earn the type of contract his league-leading play would typically merit.” Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reported.

Reportedly, Puka Nacua could get a deal similar to Seattle Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s four-year, $168.6 million deal. However, the team may be hesitant since Nacua continues to find himself in controversial situations.

These controversies also include an appearance on a livestream with internet personality Adin Ross, where Nacua did an antisemitic dance. The incident led to widespread criticism and forced the receiver to issue a public apology to the Jewish community. During that same stream, he also criticized NFL referees, claiming that they only make calls because “they want to be on TV.” 

If the Rams aren’t 100% about a contract extension, they can use a franchise tag on Nacua instead. This would give them enough time to monitor the situation.