New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs pleaded not guilty to assault charges during an arraignment in Dedham District Court in Massachusetts on Friday.
Diggs, 32, is accused of felony strangulation or suffocation, in addition to a lesser assault and battery charge. He is alleged to have assaulted a private chef over a pay dispute at his home on Dec. 2.
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The 11-year NFL veteran was released on personal recognizance and will be due back in court April 1 for a pre-trial hearing.
Outside the courthouse, Diggs’ attorney, Mitchell Schuster, said his client was “completely innocent.”
“He is completely innocent of these false allegations,” Schuster said, via the Providence Journal. He added that full facts being revealed will “paint a very different picture.”
According to court documents filed in December, the alleged victim began working as a live-in chef for Diggs in July 2025. In November, Diggs allegedly told the chef she would not have to work during the week of Nov. 7-14 and that he needed her to vacate her room because he was having guests at his home. However, the chef believed she was still to be paid for that week because she did not request that time off.
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Diggs and the chef had been exchanging texts over the pay dispute when he allegedly entered her room on Dec. 2, became angry and then “smacked her across the face,” according to the police report. He is also alleged to have “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.” Told that he still needed to pay her and had to sign off on the payments, Diggs said those were “lies” and he walked out of the room, the report said.
One week later, the chef returned to Diggs’ home to retrieve her belongings and was allegedly told to address the payment issue with his assistant. The assistant said Diggs asked the chef to sign a non-disclosure agreement before being paid. She refused to do so, according to the report.
The chef made a statement to police six days later, but said she did not want to press charges against Diggs, nor did she want to file a restraining order. The following week, after receiving messages from someone believed to be Diggs’ girlfriend saying involving the police wasn’t necessary, the chef decided to move forward with charges, according to the police report.
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Diggs was then charged with one felony count of strangulation or suffocation and one misdemeanor count of assault and battery, according to court documents.
The four-time Pro Bowler was originally scheduled to face arraignment on Jan. 23, but a judge granted a request by Diggs’ lawyers to postpone proceedings until February due to the receiver’s professional obligations.
In his first season with the Patriots, Diggs registered 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and 4 touchdowns, helping the team reach the Super Bowl. During his 11-year career, he has also played for the Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans.
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