Stefon Diggs, a star wide receiver with the New England Patriots, is due in court in Dedham, Massachusetts Friday to face criminal charges after he allegedly assaulted his personal chef.
Diggs, 32, is scheduled to be arraigned in Dedham District Court on charges of felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery in the Dec. 2 incident. He has denied the allegations.
Diggs was originally scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 23, which would have been two days before the AFC Championship Game. But, his arraignment was moved to Feb. 13, five days after the Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the Seattle Seahawks.
According to a Dedham police report, Diggs’ personal chef reported the alleged assault on Dec. 16, two weeks after it happened. She said she was hired as Diggs’ personal chef for the entire NFL season and was allowed to stay in a room at his house in Dedham. She told investigators the confrontation was about money.
“She said that they began to discuss this, which apparently angered the male,” police said in the report. “She alleges that the male then smacked her across the face. She said that she tried to push him away. The male then tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.”
David Meier, an attorney for Diggs, said in December that his client “categorically denies these allegations.” Meier called the woman’s accusations “unsubstantiated” and “the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction.” According to the Boston Globe, Meier and another attorney withdrew from the case Thursday and Diggs is now represented by attorney Sara Silva.
After the allegations became public, Diggs called it a “very emotional time” and said he couldn’t say anything about the case. The Patriots issued a statement saying, “We support Stefon.”
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