NFL star Stefon Diggs charged with strangulation, assault
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani joins 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss the charges against New England Patriots' wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Sometimes there are multiple versions of the same event, but in the trial of NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs that began on Monday, it's apparent someone simply isn't telling the truth.
That's because while the state is prosecuting Diggs on charges of felony strangulation and a misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from the December incident in which Diggs allegedly attacked his female live-in chef Mila Adams by slapping her and putting her in a headlock, the attorney for Diggs has a vastly different version of the events.
As in, the attack never happened.
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs plays against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 8, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
"The assault that the Commonwealth described in their opening statement never happened," said attorney Andrew Kettlewell, who is representing Diggs. "It did not happen."
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Diggs, an unrestricted free agent who was playing for the New England Patriots at the time of the alleged assault, pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Norfolk Assistant District Attorney Drew Virtue said Adams would testify how Diggs had entered her bedroom, slapped her and put her in a headlock that made breathing difficult before throwing her on the bed, and that is what she did.
New England Patriot wide receiver Stefon Diggs appears at Dedham District Court. (Staff photo by Stuart Cahill)
Adams testified she blocked the door to prevent Diggs from entering her room after a verbal argument and then things got worse.
"When I went up to push his, like block him, he took his arm and came around my neck with his elbow around my neck and began to choke me, put pressure on my neck," Adams testified.
Adams requested a moment to compose herself during her testimony as her eyes watered.
Adams also testified her relationship with Diggs "started out as friends" but "became sexual" before they both decided she would begin to work for Diggs in February of 2025.
A few hours after the alleged attack, Adams testified she gave Diggs a birthday gift.
Kettlewell, meanwhile, said that no one in the house at the time of the alleged attack saw or heard anything. He said there is no evidence of an attack taking place. He said there are no medical records nor photos or video evidence of the attack.
Stefon Diggs of the New England Patriots looks on during Super Bowl LX Opening Night at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, Calif., on Feb. 2, 2026. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Kettlewell instead described a simmering monetary dispute between Adams and Diggs that came to a boil when Adams learned she would not be part of a trip the wideout was planning to Miami.
Adams did tell police arriving on scene that Diggs owed her money for her work.
So whose version of events is correct?
"It's your job to determine what happened on Dec. 2," Virtue told the jury in his opening statement.
Diggs, 32, declined to speak to reporters as he arrived at Norfolk County District Court in Dedham, a Boston suburb, per the Associated Press.
Diggs last season enjoyed his seventh 1,000-yard receiving season in the last eight years as he helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl. He was released in March as the team got out from under his $26.5 million scheduled salary cap cost for 2026.
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But despite his availability and proven history of production, no other team has stepped forward with serious interest in Diggs -- in part, no doubt, because everyone is awaiting the verdict from the current trial.
The NFL is monitoring the trial before making any decision about Diggs and a possible violation of the Personal Conduct Policy.
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