Former New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs was found not guilty Tuesday of assaulting his personal chef, according to the verdict in Massachusetts that followed a two-day trial. The charges stemmed from a Dec. 2 incident at Diggs’ home in Dedham involving Jamila Adams, a former live-in personal chef known as Mila, who testified that Diggs slapped and choked her during an argument.
The jury deliberated for less than two hours after hearing testimony from the accuser, witnesses, and officials. Diggs had pleaded not guilty to a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge, and his attorneys argued that the alleged attack never occurred, positioning the dispute as rooted in money and relationship tensions rather than violence.
During closing arguments, defense attorney Andrew Kettlewell told jurors that prosecutors had not presented “a single shred of credible evidence” that an assault occurred. He argued that Adams’ account was made “to leverage and humiliate and to punish” Diggs and said: “There was no assault, no strangulation, no incident at all on that day or any other day.”
Prosecutors, including Assistant District Attorney Drew Virtue, emphasized how Adams and Diggs’ relationship shaped her account and behavior afterward. Virtue told jurors that Adams’ actions should be considered in the context of what he described as an imbalance in their relationship, saying Diggs was “a sometimes lover, a boss, landlord,” and arguing that his celebrity and financial power were factors in her response afterward.
Virtue urged jurors not to dismiss Adams’ testimony because she was not “a perfect witness.” He said, “She was argumentative, avoidant, difficult,” adding that those traits should not lead jurors to discard her testimony and that they should give it “the attention, the scrutiny, the weight it deserves.”
Adams testified earlier in the trial that she and Diggs had a “complicated” relationship that previously included sexual contact but was not sexual at the time of the alleged assault. She said she met Diggs in 2022 on Instagram, described periods where she was “friends with benefits,” and later testified that she was hired to live in his home and prepare his meals during the football season. Adams told jurors that after an argument over text messages, Diggs entered her room and “smacked me with an open hand” before wrapping his arm around her neck and choking her, leaving her struggling to breathe.
Defense attorneys pressed Adams about compensation she said she was owed after being sent home from the job. Adams testified that she was paid about $2,000 a week and believed she had not been fully compensated; defense attorneys pointed to a $19,000 demand and said the amount increased over time, with her attorney later seeking $5.5 million. When asked about the $5.5 million claim, Adams said, “I can’t speak on that,” and at other points told jurors, “I don’t understand the question” and “I don’t know how to answer the question.”
The defense also sought to challenge Adams’ account through witnesses who said she did not appear injured in the days after the encounter. Kenneth Ellis, the Dedham police officer who took Adams’ initial report, testified that Adams arrived at the station visibly upset and that she “sat down on the bench and she was crying.” Ellis told jurors under cross-examination that he did not observe visible injuries, did not collect photographs, and did not speak with other witnesses, and that the investigation relied largely on Adams’ account and text messages she provided.
Other witnesses who testified for the defense included people in Diggs’ orbit and evidence they said reflected Adams’ demeanor afterward. Diggs’ chief of staff Jeanelle Sales, a massage therapist, a nurse who provided IV treatments, and his hairstylist testified that they saw Adams around the time of the alleged attack and that she did not mention being assaulted. Sales testified that she saw Adams at the home on the day Adams said she was assaulted and did not see visible marks, redness, or swelling on her neck or face, saying Adams appeared in “normal spirits” while looking for paper and a pen to write a note for Diggs’ birthday gift.
Defense attorneys also showed jurors cellphone videos of Adams socializing—including clips of her in a car listening to music and dancing—to argue that her behavior did not match the account of being choked. Prosecutors responded to some of that testimony by saying the witnesses’ livelihoods were tied to Diggs and that they had financial interest in the outcome.
In a written statement after the verdict was read, Diggs’ attorney Mitch Schuster said “fame and financial success shouldn’t strip someone of their presumption of innocence, but too often, it does exactly that.” He said, “Professional athletes have a target on their back,” and argued that public pressure can lead people to seek a settlement “regardless of the facts of the matter.”