New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs is facing accusations of strangulation and assault from his former personal chef, ESPN reports.
The incident allegedly took place at Diggs’ residence on Dec. 2. The chef, who has not been identified, said the confrontation happened during a dispute over money she is owed.
The allegations and charges were revealed Dec. 30 at a motion hearing at Dedham District Court. Diggs is slated to be arraigned Jan. 23. He faces a felony charge of strangulation and a misdemeanor charge of assault
“Stefon Diggs categorically denies these allegations. They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated—because they did not occur,” Diggs’ attorney, David Meier, said. “The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: they are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction. Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law.”
The two parties have been in discussions for a financial settlement, The Boston Globe reported.
Although the alleged incident took place Dec. 2, the woman did not report it to police until Dec. 16. She claimed Diggs went into her unlocked bedroom in the residence and allegedly hit her in the face after having a disagreement about pay she says he owes her.
The chef told authorities that Diggs reportedly tried to choke her with his elbow around the neck. She said that she was later thrown onto the bed by Diggs, who called her a liar.
She left the residence and stayed with a friend. She said she returned on Dec. 9 to get her property. While there, she said Diggs told her to speak to his assistant, who told the chef she had to sign a nondisclosure agreement to receive the money owed to her. She refused and left.
When she reported the incident to police, she stated she did not want to file charges. She decided to do so on Dec. 22.
“We support Stefon,” the New England Patriots wrote in the statement. “We will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary. Out of respect for all parties involved, and given that this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time.”
The NFL said it was “aware of the matter” and had been in contact with the Patriots but declined further comment.
Diggs is expected to play in the Patriots’ last regular-season game on Jan. 4 against the Miami Dolphins.
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