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Mike Reiss
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs is facing a felony charge of strangulation and a misdemeanor charge of assault from an alleged incident on Dec. 2.
A motion hearing took place Tuesday morning at the Dedham (Massachusetts) District Court. Diggs’ arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 23, which is the Friday before the AFC Championship Game.
According to a police report, a woman went to police Dec. 16 and shared that she was working as a private chef on the date of the incident in question when Diggs entered her unlocked bedroom and allegedly smacked her across the face after they had discussed money owed to her. According to police, she said she attempted to push Diggs away when he allegedly tried to choke her with his elbow around her neck and later threw her on to the bed and said, “lies” when she said she had not been paid.
After the alleged assault, she left her position and the residence to stay with a friend. When the woman returned Dec. 9 to retrieve her property, Diggs referred her to his assistant, who told the woman she had to sign a nondisclosure agreement before she would be paid. She did not sign it, per the report.
The woman informed police Dec. 16 that she didn’t want to file charges before deciding to do so Dec. 22, according to the authorities.
Diggs’ attorney David Meier said in a statement that the allegations are “unsubstantiated.”
“Stefon Diggs categorically denies these allegations. They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated — because they did not occur. 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,” Meier said.
Following Tuesday’s hearing, Diggs’ defense team said it was working on a monetary resolution to the incident, according to the Boston Globe.
The Patriots said in a statement that they were aware of the accusations made against Diggs.
“We support Stefon,” the team said 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 also said it was “aware of the matter” and has been in contact with the Patriots.
“We have no further comment at this time,” the league said in its statement.
Diggs, 32, joined the Patriots last March as a free agent on a three-year, $69 million contract. He leads New England with 82 receptions for 970 yards, with four touchdowns.
The Patriots (13-3) have their final regular-season game Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, then will be in the AFC playoffs.
