Summary continues
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs is facing felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery charges tied to an alleged dispute with his former private chef, Massachusetts police said. The allegations came to light following a court hearing in Dedham on Tuesday, and the next court step is an arraignment scheduled for Jan. 23, according to the report.
Dedham Police said the matter began when a woman visited the Dedham Police Department on Dec. 16 to describe what she said happened two weeks earlier while she was working as a private chef for Diggs. In the account included in a police narrative filed in court, officers wrote that Diggs became angry during a discussion about money and that the woman later reported being struck and choked.
In the police account, the woman told officers that Diggs “smacked her across the face,” and that when she tried to push him away he “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.” Officer Kenneth J. Ellis wrote that the woman said she felt like she had trouble breathing and could have blacked out, and that Diggs threw her onto a bed after she told police she had not been paid.
Police said the chef was seeking payment for a week in November when Diggs was having houseguests and she had to go home. The woman left her position and left the Dedham home at that time, but returned on Dec. 9 to retrieve her property, according to the police narrative.
At that point, the police account said Diggs referred her to an assistant, who told her she would need to sign a non-disclosure agreement before she would be paid. The woman told police she did not sign the agreement, and Ellis wrote that she was reluctant to file charges until last week, when she told him she had changed her mind and wanted criminal charges.
Diggs, 32, has denied the allegations through his lawyer. In an emailed statement, David Meier said Diggs “categorically denies these allegations,” and Meier wrote that the allegations never occurred, describing them as unsubstantiated and uncorroborated. Meier also said the timing and motivation were “crystal clear” and were tied to an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction.
The Patriots said they were standing by Diggs. In a team statement, the Patriots said, “We support Stefon,” reflecting support as the case moves through the court process.
The news of the charges adds new legal scrutiny to Diggs’ on-field role. The report said Diggs established himself as one of the NFL’s best wide receivers during his run with Minnesota and Buffalo from 2018 to 2023, when he had six consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons and was selected to the Pro Bowl four times, before later signing with New England.
After a lackluster stint in Houston last year, Diggs signed a three-year, $69 million deal in free agency with New England, with $26 million guaranteed, according to the report. The same account said Diggs has been a reliable target for second-year quarterback Drake Maye and that he has been a factor in the Patriots clinching the AFC East title as the team heads toward the playoffs.
Before Tuesday’s hearing, the report also referenced off-field attention that arose after a video surfaced in May showing Diggs passing what appeared to be a bag of pink crystals to women on a boat. It said it was not clear what the substance was, that an NFL spokesperson said the league would not comment, and that Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said the team would handle the matter internally.