Los Angeles Rams Wide Receiver Puka Nacua Apologizes For Antisemitic Comments Made On Livestream
If there is one playbook NFL rookies should study as religiously as their game tape, it’s the one titled “Things Not To Do on a Livestream.” Los Angeles Rams Wide Receiver Puka Nacua learned that lesson the hard way this week, proving that while he might have elite hands on the field, his off-field awareness could use a little coaching.
It all started when Nacua hopped on a stream with internet personalities Adin Ross and N3on. After Rams Head Coach Sean McVay wisely denied the streamers’ entry to the team facility, the group pivoted to a gym bus. That is where things went off the rails.
The Controversy Behind the Dance
During the broadcast, Ross suggested a specific gesture for Nacua to use as his next touchdown celebration. Nacua, seemingly oblivious to the context, performed the move. The problem? The gesture is a known antisemitic trope that mocks Jewish people.
The backlash was swift and severe. The clip circulated online just days after a tragic attack on the Jewish community in Australia, heightening the insensitivity of the moment. U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell didn’t mince words, demanding an apology or for the receiver to be dropped.
On Thursday, Nacua issued a statement to stop the bleeding.
“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,” Nacua wrote. “At the time, I had no idea this act was antisemitic in nature and perpetuated harmful stereotypes against Jewish people.”
He went on to “deeply apologize” to anyone offended, affirming he does not stand for racism or bigotry.
A Week To Forget For the Nacua Family
This incident was the cherry on top of a particularly disastrous news cycle for the Rams star. During the same stream, Nacua went on a rant about NFL officials.
“The refs are the worst,” Nacua told the streamers, theorizing that officials make questionable calls just to get camera time. “You don’t think [a ref] is texting his friends in the group chat, like, ‘Yo, you guys just saw me on Sunday Night Football?'”
While railing against the refs is a time-honored tradition for fans, it is usually frowned upon by the league office when players do it. To make matters worse, news broke just days prior that his brother, Samson Nacua, was arrested for allegedly stealing a car belonging to a Lakers player.
Moving Forward
For a player who has been nothing short of a revelation since entering the league, this week served as a brutal reality check. The talent is undeniable, but the decision-making outside the hashes needs to catch up.
Nacua claims ignorance regarding the offensive gesture, and given the chaotic, often trolling nature of the streamers he was with, it’s plausible he was set up. But in the NFL, pleading ignorance rarely stops the PR nightmare. As the Rams prepare to face the Seahawks, Nacua will likely be eager to get back to doing what he actually knows how to do: playing football.
