NFL · 1 hour ago

Rams WR Puka Nacua spotted dancing at a Jewish Bat Mitzvah eight months after offensive gesture backlash

Muhammed Asif

Host · Writer

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua was seen enjoying himself and dancing at a Jewish Bat Mitzvah in LA on Sunday. This celebration comes eight months after Nacua faced major backlash for using an offensive, antisemitic gesture.

Ric Tapia – The Sporting Tribune

Puka Nacua #17 of the Los Angeles Rams smiles before the game against Seattle Seahawks at SoFi Stadium on January 5, 2025 in Inglewood, California.

Puka Nacua's Bat Mitzvah appearance

Back on Dec. 16, Nacua joined streamers Adin Ross and N3on on a live broadcast, where Ross suggested a new touchdown celebration for him. The move, leaning forward and rubbing his hands, carries deeply offensive, antisemitic connotations, as per reports. Seemingly unaware of the gesture's harmful meaning, Nacua agreed to use it in his upcoming game with the Rams.

Nacua's troubles piled up: first, the controversial livestream incident, followed by allegations of biting a woman and uttering an antisemitic slur on New Year's Eve. However, he is actively trying to mend fences, starting with rehabilitation and now engaging directly with LA's Jewish community.

: Rams star WR Puka Nacua was seen partying at a Jewish Bat Mitzvah in Los Angeles this offseason.

Puka is a true role model on and off the field ❤️ pic.twitter.com/vaznrl2yYP

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 30, 2026

Staring down a potential NFL suspension for violating personal conduct rules, Nacua is taking clear steps to reform his behavior.

“Some of the things I feel like I've learned is it's OK to ask for support and to recognize that the platform that I have, being a professional football player,” Nacua said, per LA Sports Report.

Though a league suspension looms over this season, Nacua revealed that his hardest conversations were not with NFL executives, but with his own family.

“There have been things that happened this offseason that haven't been the truest reflection of the person I feel like I am, and how my mother raised me,” Nacua said [h/t NFL.com].

Rams head coach Sean McVay declined to link Nacua's off-field conduct to his upcoming contract negotiations.

“I think he's inspired to do right because his heart is right, and then I think the contract will take care of itself because he's an incredible player, and he's continuing to mature as a man,” McVay said.

It has been a chaotic offseason for Nacua, marked by legal battles and a second round of antisemitism accusations this year. For an athlete trying to prove he has moved past his regrets, this striking contrast is hard to overlook.

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