Skip to main content
Join Now

Report: New England Patriots WR Stefon Diggs enters not guilty plea on strangulation charges

Danby: Daniel Hager02/13/26DanielHagerOn3

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs pleaded not guilty on Friday to felony strangulation and other charges, which stem from an alleged dispute with a woman who used to work for him. The woman, who worked as Diggs’ personal chef, alleged that he slapped and choked her following a salary dispute.

The woman went to the Dedham Police Department on Dec. 16, 14 days after the incident allegedly happened on Dec. 2. She alleged that Diggs “entered her unlocked bedroom” after the two had ongoing text messages over money that was owed to her. As they began to discuss this, Diggs allegedly became angry and then “smacked her across the face.” The woman said that she tried to push him away, but Diggs then allegedly “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.”

The police report then said, “At that point, the male threw her onto the bed. He said something to the effect of ‘Thought so.’ And then she told him that she still hasn’t been paid. At that point, the male said ‘Lies’ and walked out of the room.”

Diggs’ arraignment was originally slated for Jan. 23, but was moved to Feb. 13 after the New England Patriots advanced to Super Bowl LX. New England lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the game 29-13. Diggs caught three passes for 37 yards. He is scheduled to next appear for a pretrial hearing on April 1.

Across 11 NFL seasons with four different organizations (Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, and New England Patriots), Diggs has hauled in 942 receptions for 11,504 yards and 74 touchdowns. He’s been named a First Team All-Pro (2020), a Second Team All-Pro (2022), and a four-time Pro Bowler.

Stefon Diggs is dealing with another lawsuit, while juggling felony strangulation stages

Along with dealing with the assault allegation, the former First Team All-Pro had another lawsuit filed against him by a man accusing Diggs of defaming him, engaging in a civil conspiracy and being vicariously liable for an assault against him. The man allegedly worked for Diggs in July 2024. The plaintiff claims that Diggs requested him to transport his Ferrari from Miami to New York and then to Houston. However, the man alleged the Ferrari was stolen in Houston.

The man said he was never charged with theft, but Diggs continued to claim he stole the vehicle. The plaintiff claims that Diggs’ accusations negatively affected his concierge business, per TMZ Sports.

Most notably, the man alleges that he was attacked by two men in Diggs’ circle in December 2025 at Tootsie’s Cabaret in Miami. The man said that Stefon Diggs’ brother, Trevon, saw the incident occur, but didn’t intervene.

The plaintiff reportedly said he suffered numerous injuries from the attack, including a torn ACL.

On3’s Brian Jones and Grant Grubbs contributed to this article.