The assault trial of former New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs began Monday in Dedham, Massachusetts, with the case hinging on competing accounts of an alleged attack at his home and a dispute that jurors were told began before the alleged assault and continued into the courtroom.
On the first day of trial at Norfolk County District Court, chef Jamila Adams, who goes by “Mila,” took the stand and described what she said happened when Diggs came into her bedroom. Adams told jurors that Diggs “smacked me with an open hand” before wrapping his arm around her neck and choking her, leaving her struggling to breathe. Adams said the alleged attack came hours after the pair had exchanged angry texts about Adams being left off a weeklong trip to Miami for Diggs’ entourage.
Adams said she attempted to block Diggs and that, as she described it, he moved around her neck and began choking her, telling jurors the moment left her unable to breathe. As she testified, she said she did not understand how someone she had been sexually involved with could “put hands on me,” and she described being in shock. She also testified that she did not record or photograph evidence of what she said were visible marks because she was focused on figuring out what she planned to do next.
As defense attorneys sought to undermine Adams’ credibility, they challenged her over details about amounts she wanted to charge Diggs for cooking and suggested she left out information in her police report. They also pressed on the lack of photos or video of the alleged assault, and they presented video clips that showed Adams traveling and socializing in New York in the hours and days after the Dec. 2 incident, including footage of her smiling and dancing. Adams responded that she was busy dealing with next steps and did not take video or photos of redness she said could be seen on her neck and chest.
Diggs’ defense opened the case by telling jurors the prosecution’s account was fabricated. In his opening statement, Diggs’ attorney Andrew Kettlewell insisted that Diggs did nothing wrong and said no one in the house at the time of the alleged attack saw or heard anything out of the ordinary. Kettlewell also said there were no medical records supporting the allegations, and he argued directly to the jury: “The assault that the Commonwealth described in their opening statement never happened. It did not happen.”
Prosecutor Drew Virtue, in his opening statement, said Adams would testify that Diggs slapped her and put her in a headlock that made it difficult to breathe before throwing her onto a bed. Virtue told jurors their task was to determine what happened on Dec. 2, and Judge Jeanmarie Carroll at times instructed the jury to disregard parts of Adams’ testimony that went beyond the scope of questions asked.
Outside the courtroom, Diggs did not speak to reporters when he arrived at Dedham, and he did not comment as he left court for the day. Diggs has pleaded not guilty to a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge stemming from the Dec. 2 incident. A jury was selected earlier Monday and received its instructions.
Kettlewell also told jurors they would hear evidence, as he framed it, that Adams had a financial motive. He said she sought money from Diggs a day after charges were filed in late December, starting at $19,000 and increasing over time to “quite a bit more.” Kettlewell told jurors, “She was furious and she wanted Mr. Diggs to pay in every sense of that word,” and urged them not to be influenced by Diggs’ status as a famous NFL player.
In the background of the trial, court and trial coverage also placed Diggs’ professional record and recent career moves into context. Diggs signed a three-year, $69 million contract with the Patriots last year, was a key target for quarterback Drake Maye during the team’s AFC East title run, and posted a 1,000-yard receiving season with the Patriots. Diggs was released by the team in March and has not signed with another team, according to the report.