New York (AFP) – Former New England Patriots star Stefon Diggs was acquitted Tuesday of charges that he assaulted his live-in personal chef. A jury in Massachusetts cleared the veteran NFL wide receiver of felony strangulation or suffocation, and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge.
Appearing in court in a grey suit and tie, Diggs calmly nodded as the verdict was read out. Personal chef Jamila Adams reported the incident, which she said stemmed from a pay dispute, to police in December. She said Diggs struck her in the face and tried to choke her “using the crook of his elbow around her neck,” according to the police report. Adams said she and Diggs had previously been in a sexual relationship.
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Diggs, 32, appeared in court in February to plead not guilty, less than a week after playing for the Patriots in the Super Bowl. His lawyers denied any assault ever happened and pointed to financial demands that Adams’s representatives allegedly made on the eve of the trial.
Following a two-day trial, the jury deliberated for roughly 90 minutes before exonerating Diggs on both counts, according to local media. Diggs is currently a free agent, having been released by the Patriots. He dated rapper Cardi B, with whom he had a child last November, though the celebrity couple have reportedly split since.
© 2024 AFP
