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Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs is facing charges of strangulation and assault as a result of a police report filed by a private chef who claims the NFL player owes her money.
A woman, who claims she is owed a month’s pay, went to police in early December alleging Diggs assaulted her when she asked him about the payment.
Diggs pleaded not guilty during his Feb. 13 arraignment hearing. His pre-trial hearing is scheduled for April 1.
His arraignment was originally scheduled for Jan. 23, two days before the AFC Championship Game, but was postponed after his attorney requested it to be moved due to a “scheduling conflict with Diggs’ professional commitments.” Diggs and the Patriots lost to the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
The charges were filed in Dedham District Court on Dec. 29. Assault and battery is a misdemeanor charge, while strangulation or suffocation is a felony charge.
Diggs’s original attorney, Michael DiStefano, appeared at a hearing in Dedham District Court after the charges were announced, asking the judge to seal the case to avoid “substantial risk of widespread publicity.” DiStefano also said Diggs’s team is working on a financial settlement with the accuser.
“Stefon Diggs categorically denies these allegations,” another one of the player’s attorneys, David Meier, said in a statement. “They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated—because they did not occur. The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: they are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction. Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law.”
DiStefano’s request to seal the police report was denied by the judge, and the documents were made public a day after the charges were filed.
What Are The Accusations Against Diggs
The alleged incident happened on Dec. 2 at a home previously owned by former Patriots and current Bills player Matthew Judon. The police report says the woman and Diggs had an argument over money after Diggs came into the chef’s bedroom. The woman said Diggs smacked her in the face, tried to choke her (she said she had trouble breathing and thought she could black out), and threw her onto the bed, the police report says.
“He said something to the effect of ‘Thought so.’ And then she told him that she still hasn’t been paid. At that point, the male said “Lies” and walked out of the room. She explained to me that he needs to sign off on payments in order for her to be paid, which is why she confronted him directly,” the police report reads.
The woman said she was hired in July through the end of the NFL season, and that Diggs kicked her out for a week without pay in November, according to the police report. The woman said Diggs after the alleged incident wanted her to sign a non-disclosure agreement before he would pay her, the report says. The woman also told police she was contacted by someone she believed to be Diggs’ girlfriend. That person said “something to the effect of ‘you don’t need to do all this. It’s not that big of a deal,’” the police report says. Diggs is dating rapper Cardi B, and the two welcomed a son in November. A representative for the artist did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The woman initially went to police on Dec. 16, but didn’t say she wanted to move forward with criminal charges until Dec. 22, the police report says.
Court documents obtained by Front Office Sports also show text messages the woman said were between her and Diggs, where the NFL player allegedly sent “I won’t be paying you shit.”
After the charges were announced, the Patriots said in a statement they were aware of the allegations against Diggs and that the player told the team he denies them. “We support Stefon. We will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary. Out of respect for all parties involved, and given that this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time,” the Patriots said.
“We are aware of the matter and have been in contact with the club. We have no further comment at this time,” the NFL said in a statement.
