Puka Nacua Opens Up on Rehab and Alcohol Struggles
Rams receiver Puka Nacua revealed he entered rehab in March, saying he used alcohol to escape the stress of fame, fatherhood and off-field controversies.
Puka Nacua said he checked into a rehabilitation facility in March, telling Netflix he drank to numb the pressure.
"I never shared my fears and worries. I was always looking for different ways to escape tension and stress. And alcohol was definitely one of them. I was drowning myself in it so I wouldn't have to face the problems and stress I was experiencing," Nacua said.
The 25-year-old receiver, who plays for the Rams, said the pressure came from several directions at once: a sudden rise in profile, the demand to keep performing at a high level, and co-parenting a young son with the boy's mother.
In December he apologised for a gesture during a livestream that was seen as antisemitic. In March, a woman filed a lawsuit alleging he made an unprovoked antisemitic remark toward her and later bit her on the shoulder. The case is still before the courts, and the NFL has not ruled out disciplinary action against him.
"I was able to start speaking openly and honestly. More than anything, I want to become someone my son can be proud of. When he's older, I'll be able to share with him what I learned from my own mistakes," Nacua said, calling the period the hardest of his life.
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