Dedham, Mass. – The live-in chef accused stefon diggs The assault case, which came to light on the first day of his trial on Monday, testifies to this new England Patriots The wide receiver slapped and choked her during a dispute at his home.
Diggs’ defense attorney told jurors the attack never happened.
Jamila Adams, who supports Mila, testified that Diggs “hit me with an open hand” before wrapping his arm around her neck and strangling her, causing her to have difficulty breathing. She described what she called “complicated” employment dynamics, saying that their relationship was sexual at first – although not at the time of the attack – and that she would give him meals and snacks three times a day while he lived in her home.
Diggs’ attorney, Andrew Kettlewell, insisted his client did nothing wrong and said no one in the house at the time of the alleged attack saw or heard anything unusual. He also said that there were no medical records, photographs or video of the alleged attack.
“That didn’t happen,” Kettlewell said.
The 33-year-old is a four-time Pro Bowl player pleaded not guilty Felony strangulation charges and misdemeanor assault and battery charges. December incident. A jury was selected and received its instructions early Monday.
The defense attorney also suggested that Adams had a financial motive, telling jurors they would hear evidence that he had asked Diggs for money after reporting the incident and left out details when talking to police.
Kettlewell said the two were previously “friends” and “friends with benefits” and described a dispute that escalated after Adams backed out of a planned trip to Miami. He said he later sent requests for money, including via Apple Pay.
“She was angry and she wanted Mr. Diggs to pay in every sense of the word,” he said.
Diggs declined to speak to reporters when reached at Norfolk County District Court in Dedham, a suburb of Boston.
Norfolk Assistant District Attorney Drew Virtue told jurors in his opening statement that Adams would testify that Diggs entered her bedroom, slapped her and put a headlock on her before throwing her on the bed in a way that made it difficult to breathe.
“It’s your job to determine what happened on Dec. 2,” Virtue said.
Adams testified that Diggs came into her room and attacked her after the two exchanged a series of angry text messages earlier in the day.
“When I went up to stop him, he took his arms and put them around my neck and he started to strangle me,” Adams said, becoming emotional as she called it an “assault.”
Judge JeanMarie Carroll several times instructed jurors to ignore parts of Adams’ testimony that were beyond the scope of the questions.
According to court records, Adams told officers that he and Diggs had argued about money he owed her for the work. During the December 2 encounter, she said he “slapped her in the face” and “tried to strangle her using the bend of his elbow around her neck”, causing her to stop breathing. She said she feared she might faint.
Kettlewell also described conflict between members of Adams and Diggs’ entourage, saying tensions rose when they learned she would not be part of the planned trip to Miami. He alleged that his demands for money increased after the police report was filed and urged jurors not to be influenced by Diggs’ wealth or status.
Kettlewell said, “Like any other person in this country, whether rich or poor, Mr. Diggs is an innocent man here.”
Stefon Diggs signed a three-year, $69 million contract with the New England Patriots last year and was a major target for the quarterback. drake may During the Patriots’ AFC East title run. Before joining the Patriots, Diggs was drafted minnesota vikings In 2015 and played for buffalo bill before a brief stint with houston texans In 2024.
Diggs’ 1,000-yard season with the Patriots was the seventh of his career. It helped complete a successful career revival after a season-ending knee injury derailed a one-year stay with the Texans in 2024.
Diggs, who led the team with 85 receptions and 1,013 yards receiving with four touchdowns in his only season with the Patriots, was released by the team in March. Diggs posted a goodbye note on social media, thanking the Patriots for the season and saying: “We are family forever.”
Diggs has not signed with any other team yet.
