New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs has pleaded not guilty to assault charges stemming from an alleged December incident involving his live-in chef, the player’s attorney confirmed on Friday.
The arraignment took place in Dedham, Massachusetts, just days after Diggs played in the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Diggs faces felony strangulation or suffocation and a lesser assault and battery charge, according to prosecutors. Despite the seriousness of the allegations, he was released on personal recognizance and is scheduled to return to court on April 1.
Outside the courthouse, Diggs’ attorney, Mitchell Schuster, told reporters: “We are confident that after the facts and evidence are reviewed in this case, he will be completely exonerated.” The hearing itself lasted less than five minutes.
According to a police report from the Dedham Police Department, the alleged victim reported the incident on December 16, claiming it arose from a dispute over pay. She stated that Diggs struck her in the face and attempted to choke her “using the crook of his elbow around her neck.”
When charges were filed on December 30, Diggs’ other defense attorney, David Meier, issued a statement emphasizing that the star receiver “categorically denies these allegations.”
The case adds a legal cloud over Diggs’ career just as he continues to play at an elite level in the NFL, and all eyes will be on the upcoming court proceedings in April to see how the case unfolds.
