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A color photo of the bite mark Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua allegedly left on a woman’s shoulder shows the incident was not horseplay, according to an attorney representing the woman.
Joseph Kar, the attorney, addressed the matter in a Case Management Conference statement filed Monday, July 20, as part of the woman’s civil lawsuit against Nacua.
After the lawsuit was filed March 25 with the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Nacua “engaged the crisis management team to besmirch and falsely portray the Plaintiff 'as horseplaying,'" according to the filing.
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The Associated Press and Los Angeles Times both reported March 25 Nacua’s attorney, Levi McCathern, II, described Nacua biting the woman as "horseplay."
Nacau, 25, faces possible misdemeanor battery charges with the City Attorney handling the case. But on Monday a spokesman for the City Attorney said by email that "The matter is currently on track to be resolved through pre-filing diversion."
The Prefiling Diversion Program "diverts individuals detained for non-serious/non-violent misdemeanors and felonies to community supports, in lieu of criminal charges being filed (which could entail prosecution and jail time),'' according to the Justice, Care and Opportunities Department of Los Angeles County website.
McCathern did not immediately respond to requests for comment USA TODAY Sports left with his law firm and sent by email. He has previously denied the allegations in the lawsuit.
“Puka denies these allegations in the strongest possible terms,” McCathern said in a March statement to USA TODAY Sports. “We will be filing a defamation lawsuit and pursuing all available legal remedies in response to these false and damaging statements.”
Puka Nacua accuser got tetanus shot after alleged bite, lawyer says
The bite caused a micropuncture and the woman had to get a tetanus shot, according to Kar. At the request of USA TODAY Sports, Kar provided the color photo of the bite mark. He said the black-and-white copy filed as evidence and may be one reason the bite mark has been, in his opinion, underplayed.
The woman is not being identified by name because USA TODAY does not name people who report being assaulted.
The incident took place Dec. 31, 2025, after a New Year’s Eve dinner in Los Angeles, according to the lawsuit filed with the Los Angels Superior Court March 25. The alleged biting took place in a Sprinter van after the dinner, according to the complaint.
Nacua, according to the complaint, “viciously attacked'' the woman, leaving an impression of all his teeth on her scapula and would not release for what seemed 10-20 seconds. The woman was folded over, started crying and suffered severe physical and emotional pain, according to the complaint.
The woman is seeking damages for assault and battery, gender violence and negligence, according to the complaint. Nacua committed battery against the woman because of her gender, according to the complaint.
“This wasn’t horseplay," Kar said in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY Sports.
Nacua, 25, was voted First-Team All-Pro last season, his third season with the Rams. He was voted Second-Team All-Pro in 2023, his rookie NFL season.
Nacua amends answer about accuser, court filing says
According the July 20 case management filing, Nacua has amended answers to written questions provided under oath.
Nacua originally stated the woman contributed to the incident because “Plaintiff was very intoxicated at the time of the incident,’’ according to the filing.
But in recently amended answers, according to the filing, Nacua changed his answer about whether or not the woman contributed to “No. However, discovery and investigation are continuing.”
Nacua has refused to disclose the identity or contact information of witnesses he publicly stated in press existed before the action was filed, according to the filing.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Photo shows severity of Puka Nacua's alleged bite, lawyer says | Exclusive
