New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs entered a not guilty plea earlier today to charges including felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery, as reported by The Boston Globe. The allegations arose from an incident with his personal chef in December. The court has released Diggs on personal recognizance, with a further hearing slated for April 1.
The chef, who has not been publicly named, told Dedham police that the disagreement with Diggs was over payment for her services, during which she claimed Diggs became physically aggressive, allegedly striking and choking her. The Dedham Police Department report, obtained by The Boston Herald, details that the victim alleged an assault after a payment dispute, claiming Diggs smacked her in the face, and used the crook of his elbow to strangle her.
According to the victim's statements, there was a prior agreement for weekly compensation which had been changed to monthly payments since her employment began. She also claimed that Diggs informed her that her services were 'not needed' for a week and failed to pay her for that period, which she considered a breach of their work arrangement. "He is completely innocent of these false allegations," Diggs' attorney Mitchell Schuster said in comments to reporters, as noted by The Boston Globe.
Since the arraignment, Diggs' legal team has changed, with former defense attorneys withdrawing from the case. In the most recent development, his current representation filed a motion to reveal a redacted address, stating that it is "a business address located in a wholly different state" and that its disclosure is necessary for Diggs to mount his defense, as per The Boston Globe. The surrounding controversy reached a peak with Diggs facing a separate defamation lawsuit in Florida over a dispute involving a Ferrari the details of which emerged just before the Patriots lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
Despite the legal turmoil, Diggs expressed his desire to remain with the Patriots, saying, "Unless they opt out of the contract, I anticipate being here," and "I hope so. Love my guys. Hell of a year playing with them. We built some real family-like bonds, so I hope so. I don’t control it," according to a statement acquired by The Boston Globe. Under contract through the 2027 season, Diggs signed a three-year deal with the team worth up to $69 million last offseason.
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