Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua has drawn attention to himself once again for actions off the football field, this time with his eyebrow-raising message for his ex, Hallie Aiono, the mother of his son, Kingston.
Happy birthday to Kingstons mom,” Nacua posted to his Instagram story on September 8. “Thank you for everything you have sacrificed and done for our son.”
The timing of the post drew attention.
“Aiono went viral last month for posting a TikTok video,” the New York Post’s Grant Young wrote on September 9, noting Aiono’s claims of “experiencing extreme betrayal, abuse, complete neglect from” from Nacua. “Aiono later deleted the TikTok post, but not before it made waves around the football community.
“Nacua and Aiono’s relationship had some nasty elements, including Nacua having Aiono take a paternity test to confirm whether her child was indeed his.”
Young, who called the message “surprising,” also said it “appears to at least be a step in the right direction” for Nacua and Aiono. Unfortunately for the Rams and Nacua, this situation is not the only one that the mercurial playmaker is navigating.
He is also facing a lawsuit.
A woman named Madison Atiabi has accused Nacua of biting her and making antisemitic remarks during a group outing on New Year’s Eve 2025.
The NFL does not need to wait for the legal process to play out, and its inaction during the wave of suspensions–combined with the fact that he is navigating a civil matter rather than a criminal one–has led to a bolstered belief that a suspension may not come this season, if at all.
Nacua is in a contract season with the Rams.
It is suspected that he would have already received an extension had he avoided the off-the-field issues that continue to loom over him.
Nacua checked himself into a private rehabilitation center this offseason. He emerged from that experience noting a moving experience, including learning the value of keeping a daily journal, which he said he still does.
Rams Announce Good News on Puka Nacua, Bad Update on Super Bowl Champion
Nacua battled a psoas (core muscle) injury. It limited him in training camp and put his Week 1 status in jeopardy.
Nacua is the NFL’s reigning receptions leader and a key to the Rams’ offense. His status is even more significant. The Rams are preparing to open the 2026 regular season against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia.
However, the Rams did not list Nacua at all on their first injury report of the week on Tuesday.
That is the good news. The bad news is that cornerback Jaylen Watson, one of the Rams’ prized offseason pickups, did not. Watson is battling a toe injury, per the Rams. It is unclear what the severity is or whether Watson would have been able to play in a game.
With the Rams’ travel situation, they do not have much time for recovery and practice. They may very well have chosen the latter with Watson.
Even still, Nacua is inarguably the bigger story for the Rams, simply because of LA’s roster.
Puka Nacua Shares ‘Surprising’ Words About Ex, Hallie Aiono, After Accusations