A jury on Tuesday found former New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs not guilty on charges of assault and battery and strangulation against his personal chef.
Diggs, 32, a free agent who spent the 2025 season with New England, pleaded not guilty in February to the felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge, ESPN reported.
The trial lasted two days and a jury took less than two hours to reach a verdict, according to WFXT.
The case revolved around a Dec. 2 encounter at Diggs’ residence in Dedham, Massachusetts, the television station reported. According to Jamila Adams -- Diggs’ former live-in personal chef also known as Mila -- the 11-year NFL veteran allegedly choked and slapped him during an argument, The Associated Press reported.
The case also focused on Adams’ credibility and whether the dispute between her and Diggs was about money or an alleged assault, according to WFXT.
WATCH: Former Patriots star Stefon Diggs sheds a tear as jurors deliver a "Not Guilty" verdict in the wide receiver's assault case with his former chef. pic.twitter.com/bDJayETmdO
— Boston 25 News (@boston25) May 5, 2026
Diggs’ attorneys pointed to financial demands made by Adams, while prosecutors said the case rested on the plaintiff’s version of what happened inside the residence, the television station reported.
Defense attorney Andrew Kettlewell told jurors in closing arguments that prosecutors had not presented “a single shred of credible evidence” that an assault occurred.
“There was no assault, no strangulation, no incident at all on that day or any other day,” he said.
Assistant District Attorney Drew Virtue urged jurors to weigh Adams’ testimony carefully and not to disregard it because she was not “a perfect witness.”
“She was argumentative, avoidant, difficult. But does that mean you should throw away everything she said? No,” he said, adding that jurors should give her testimony “the attention, the scrutiny, the weight it deserves.”
“We have taken these allegations seriously from day one and that’s exactly why we were eager for the facts to come to light through the legal process,” defense attorney Mitch Schuster said in a statement, according to ESPN. “Professional athletes have a target on their back. When someone sees a uniform and a contract, they see leverage; they see a settlement. And they’re counting on that pressure in the court of public opinion to drive a default decision to settle regardless of the facts of the matter.
“The evidence has shown what we’ve maintained from day one: Mr. Diggs was wrongly accused, and this case represents exactly the kind of opportunistic targeting that players can face the moment they step off the field.”
The acquittal clears a path for Diggs to play in 2016, the ESPN reported, adding that the wide receiver still could face disciplinary actions from the NFL.
“We have been monitoring all developments in the matter, which remains under review of the personal conduct policy,” NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said Tuesday.
In 17 games during the 2025 season, Diggs caught 82 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns.
His 1,000-yard season was the seventh of his career, ESPN reported.
The wide receiver was released by the Patriots in March, freeing $16.8 million in salary cap space for New England.
Diggs and his girlfriend, rapper Cardi B, became parents of a baby boy in November 2025, their first child together.
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