A woman's restraining order request filed against Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua stemming from an incident in which she claimed he bit her was formally dismissed by a judge at her request on Tuesday (April 14).

Accuser Madison Atiabi's attorney, Joseph Kar, told Judge Debra R. Archuleta that he and his client intended to drop the request they previously submitted on March 24 during a hearing in a Los Angeles County courtroom after Nacua recently entered rehabilitation.

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

The attorney also confirmed that he and Nacua's representatives had been in contact in connection with the situation. Archuleta then announced that the case would "be dismissed without prejudice," which will allow Atiabi to refile at a later date. Atiaba filed the temporary restraining order after accusing Nacua of saying "f**k all the Jews" and later biting her during New Year's Eve in Los Angeles.

Atiabi claimed Nacua allegedly made the comment during dinner with others in attendance, which she said was just the "first act in what became an escalating course of rude or vulgar, threatening, violent, and harassing conduct" by the All-Pro wide receiver. The accuser claimed Nacua became "touchy-feely" and "dropped his head into [her] girlfriend's lap and crotch area and bit her thumb so forcefully that she screamed in acute pain" before biting her left shoulder and breaking skin, resulting in a circular imprint of his teeth.

A photo of the alleged bite marks was shared in her temporary restraining order application. Atiabi filed an incident report with police the following day and says a mediation conference was convened in March 2026, at which point Nacua's legal team threatened to "contact TMZ and other press and media outlets and to disseminate false, inaccurate, and/or deliberately exaggerated public statements about the events of December 31, 2025."

Nacua denied the allegations in a statement shared by his attorney, Levi G. McCathern, II, to USA TODAY Sports.

“Puka denies these allegations in the strongest possible terms,” McCathern said. “We will be filing a defamation lawsuit and pursuing all available legal remedies in response to these false and damaging statements.”

McCathern added that the alleged victim sought millions of dollars in order to avoid the allegations being publicized.

“Let’s be clear about what this case is — and what it is not,” McCathern said. “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.”

The attorney added that a sober witness denied that Nacua made the antisemitic comment. The All-Pro wide receiver had previously faced backlash for using an antisemitic trope while appearing on a livestream with controversial streamer Adin Ross in December.

Ross, who claims to be Jewish, requested Nacua perform a touchdown celebration copying what his viewers called his "iconic Jewish dance," which included rubbing his hands together, mimicking the antisemitic caricature of a Jewish man symbolizing green commonly used on social media websites.

“When I appeared the other day on a social media livestream, it was suggested to me to perform a specific movement as part of my next touchdown celebration. At the time, I had no idea this act was antisemitic in nature and perpetuated harmful stereotypes against Jewish people," Nacua said in a statement shared on Instagram on behalf of the 'Stand Up To Jewish Hate' campaign, which has since been deleted. “I deeply apologize to anyone who was offended by my actions as I do not stand for any form of racism, bigotry or hate of another group of people.”

Nacua is coming off his third NFL season, having been selected as a first-team All-Pro for the first time, after previously being selected as a second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler, as well as setting several rookie records in 2023. The former BYU standout recorded career-best totals in receptions (129), receiving yards (1,715) and touchdowns (10) in 2025.

Covino & Rich