Veteran NFL receiver Stefon Diggs was found not guilty of strangling or assaulting his private chef by a jury on Tuesday afternoon in Dedham (Mass.) District Court.
Deliberations took 90 minutes before the six-person jury rendered the verdict.
Diggs pleaded not guilty in February to felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from an incident on Dec. 2 at Diggs’ home in Dedham, approximately 20 minutes southwest of Boston.
Diggs was a member of the New England Patriots when the incident happened before being released in March.
His live-in personal chef, Jamila Adams, testified Monday that Diggs slapped and choked her during an argument regarding pay. Adams began cooking for Diggs in July 2025 for $2,000 per week.
Diggs, who is now a free agent, maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal, and one of his attorneys said the allegations were motivated by the financial dispute. His attorney also said Adams was upset she wasn’t invited to go on a trip to Miami.
Defense attorney Andrew Kettlewell said during closing arguments that prosecutors didn’t present “a single shred of credible evidence” that an assault occurred.
Adams testified that she initially became friends with Diggs and began having sexual relations with him before starting to work for him in 2025.
Diggs faced up to five years in prison on the strangulation charge and 2 1/2 years on the assault charge.
The 32-year-old Diggs was released by New England after the first season of a three-year, $63.5 million contract. He helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl, where they lost 29-13 to the Seattle Seahawks.
Diggs caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games last season to notch his seventh 1,000-yard season. But in the postseason, he had just 110 yards and a touchdown on 14 receptions over four games.
He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection with the Buffalo Bills from 2020-23.
Diggs played five seasons for Minnesota Vikings before joining the Bills. He also played for the Houston Texans in 2024 before signing with the Patriots and has 942 catches for 11,504 yards and 74 touchdowns in 161 games (153 starts).
